Taiwan
Country in E Asia, officially the Republic of China, occupying the
island of Taiwan between the E China Sea and the S China Sea,
separated from the coast of China by the Taiwan Strait.
Government
The 325-member National Assembly, the Kuo-Min Ta-Hui, has the power
to amend the constitution of 1947. Until the 1991 elections, its
membership was dominated by veterans who, originally elected from
mainland China in 1947, were allowed to retain their seats as
`life membersī after their constituencies fell under communist
Chinese control 1949.
Taiwan's president, directly elected for a four-year term, is
head of state and commander in chief of the armed forces, and
promulgates laws. (Until 1996 the president was elected by the
National Assembly for a six-year term.) The president works with
a cabinet, the Executive Yuan, headed by a prime minister, responsible
to a single-chamber legislature, the Legislative Yuan. The Legislative
Yuan comprises 164 members, directly elected for a three-year
term on the basis of proportional representation. Before 1972,
it was dominated by mainlander `life membersī. Now, however, all
its deputies have been elected in Taiwan. The Legislative Yuan
has the power to hear administrative reports presented by the
Executive Yuan and can amend government policy. Three Control,
Judicial, and Examination Yuans also exist, with the tasks of
investigating the work of the executive, interpreting the constitution,
and overseeing entrance examinations for public offices.
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