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Portugal Autonomous Regions and Macau
The archipelagoes of the Azores and Madeira had long
enjoyed
a substantial degree of administrative autonomy when in
1976 the
new constitution established them as autonomous political
regions. According to the constitution, political autonomy
was
granted in response to the islands' geographical,
economic,
social, and cultural characteristics and because of "the
historic
aspirations of the peoples of the islands to autonomy."
This
autonomy, however, "shall in no way affect the
[Portuguese]
State's full sovereignty and shall be exercised within the
limits
of the Constitution."
The constitution grants the autonomous regions a number
of
powers, among them the power to legislate in areas
relating
specifically to them, execute laws, tax, supervise local
public
institutions, and participate in drafting international
agreements that affect them. This last provision has meant
that
Azorean officials have participated in talks between the
United
States and Portugal about military bases located on their
islands.
The national government is represented by the minister
of the
republic who functions in much the same manner as the
president
of the republic does on the mainland. The minister has
veto
powers similar to those of the president. If the
autonomous
regions' governing organs have acted contrary to the
dictates of
the constitution, they may be dissolved by the president
of the
republic.
Each autonomous region has a legislative assembly
elected for
four-year terms. The
d'Hondt method (see Glossary) is used
to
determine voting results. A president heads a regional
government
composed of regional secretaries, which reflects the party
composition of the regional assembly. This government is
politically responsible to the regional assembly in the
same
manner that the national government is responsible to the
Assembly of the Republic.
Among other powers, the regional assembly has the right
to
initiate legislation, review the regional government's
budget,
and vote motions of censure. A regional government has
powers
similar to those of the national government, and its
members
directed a number of regional secretariats that correspond
to the
mainland's ministries. Local government in the regions
corresponds to the mainland's municipalities and parishes.
Macau consists of a peninsula attached to the Chinese
mainland and two islands with a total area of about 17
square
kilometers. In 1987 its population was estimated at
435,000
persons. Portuguese explorers first reached Macau in the
early
sixteenth century, and it became a Portuguese colony in
1557.
According to an agreement in 1987 between Portugal and
China,
Macau was to become a "special administrative region" of
China on
January 20, 1999. Even after this date, however, Macau
would be
allowed to maintain its capitalist economy, and Portuguese
would
remain its official language. Until 1999 Macau would
remain a
Special Territory of Portugal. Although the territory's
highest
executive official was a governor appointed by the
president of
Portugal, Macau enjoyed a substantial degree of autonomy
and had
its own legislative assembly.
Data as of January 1993
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