Government (Portugal)
=====================


     Long-form name:
         Portuguese Republic
     Type:
         republic
     Capital:
         Lisbon
     Administrative divisions:
         18 districts (distritos, singular - distrito) and 2 autonomous regions*
         (regioes autonomas, singular - regiao autonoma); Aveiro, Acores (Azores)*,
         Beja, Braga, Braganca, Castelo Branco, Coimbra, Evora, Faro, Guarda, Leiria,
         Lisboa, Madeira*, Portalegre, Porto, Santarem, Setubal, Viana do Castelo,
         Vila Real, Viseu
     Independence:
         1140; independent republic proclaimed 5 October 1910
     Constitution:
         25 April 1976, revised 30 October 1982 and 1 June 1989
     Legal system:
         civil law system; the Constitutional Tribunal reviews the constitutionality
         of legislation; accepts compulsory ICJ jurisdiction, with reservations
     National holiday:
         Day of Portugal, 10 June
     Executive branch:
         president, Council of State, prime minister, deputy prime minister, Council
         of Ministers (cabinet)
     Legislative branch:
         unicameral Assembly of the Republic (Assembleia da Republica)
     Judicial branch:
         Supreme Tribunal of Justice (Supremo Tribunal de Justica)
     Leaders:
       Chief of State:
         President Dr. Mario Alberto Nobre Lopes SOARES (since 9 March 1986)
       Head of Government:
         Prime Minister Anibal CAVACO SILVA (since 6 November 1985)
     Political parties and leaders:
         Social Democratic Party (PSD), Anibal CAVACO Silva; Portuguese Socialist
         Party (PS), Jorge SAMPAIO; Party of Democratic Renewal (PRD), Herminio
         MARTINHO; Portuguese Communist Party (PCP), Alvaro CUNHAL; Social Democratic
         Center (CDS), Andriano MORREIRA (interim); National Solidarity Party, Manuel
         SERGIO; Center Democratic Party; United Democratic Coalition (CDU;
         Communists)
     Suffrage:
         universal at age 18
     Elections:
       President:
         last held 13 February 1991 (next to be held NA February 1996); results - Dr.
         Mario Lopes SOARES 70%, Basilio HORTA 14%, Carlos CARVALHAS 13%, Carlos
         MARQUES 3%
       Assembly of the Republic:
         last held 6 October 1991 (next to be held NA October 1995); results - PSD
         50.4%, PS 29.3%, CDU 8.8%, Center Democrats 4.4%, National Solidarity Party
         1.7%, PRD 0.6%, other 4.8%; seats - (230 total) PSD 135, PS 72, CDU 17,
         Center Democrats 5, National Solidarity Party 1
     Communists:
         Portuguese Communist Party claims membership of 200,753 (December 1983)