Portal:Politics/Selected article/2008, week 20

The politics of the Republic of China (ROC) takes place in a framework of a semi-presidential representative democratic republic, whereby the President is head of state and the premier (President of the Executive Yuan) is head of government, and of a dominant party system. Executive power is exercised by the government. Legislative power is vested in both the government and parliament. The party system is dominated by the liberal, pro-independence Democratic Progressive Party and the conservative, pro-reunification Kuomintang (KMT). The Judiciary is independent of the executive and the legislature. The Republic of China (ROC) currently has jurisdiction over Taiwan, Kinmen, Matsu, and the Pescadores Islands (Penghu) and several smaller islands. Taiwan's two major cities, Taipei and Kaohsiung, are centrally administered municipalities. The rest of Taiwan and the Penghu Islands are administered together as the Province of Taiwan. Kinmen, Matsu, and smaller nearby islands are administered as counties of Fukien (Fujian) Province.