ns,
6.6% construction, 3.1% handicrafts, 3.2% other (1987)

Organized labor: 87.7% of labor force

- Government
Long-form name: German Democratic Republic; abbreviated GDR

Type: Communist state

Capital: East Berlin (not officially recognized by France, UK, and US,
which together with the USSR have special rights and responsibilities in Berlin)

Administrative divisions: 14 districts (bezirke, singular--bezirk);
Cottbus, Dresden, Erfurt, Frankfurt, Gera, Halle, Karl-Marx-Stadt, Leipzig,
Magdeburg, Neubrandenburg, Potsdam, Rostock, Schwerin, Suhl

Independence: self-government proclaimed 7 October 1949, with permission
of the Soviet authorities

Constitution: 9 April 1968, amended 7 October 1974

Legal system: civil law system modified by Communist legal theory;
no judicial review of legislative acts; has not accepted compulsory ICJ
jurisdiction

National holiday: Foundation of the German Democratic Republic,
7 October (1949)

Executive branch: Council of State abolished on 5 April 1990,
post of president to be created; chairman of the Council of
Ministers, Council of Ministers (cabinet)

Legislative branch: unicameral People's Chamber (Volkskammer)

Judicial branch: Supreme Court

Leaders: Chief of State--Acting President of the People's
Chamber Sabine BERGMANN-POHL (since 5 April 1990);

Head of Government--Chairman of the Council of Ministers
Lothar DE MAIZIERE (since 12 April 1990); Deputy Chairman Peter-Michael
DIESTEL (since 16 April 1990)

Political parties and leaders:
Alliance for Germany--Christian Democratic Union (CDU), Lothar de
Maiziere, chairman; German Social Union (DSU), Hans-Wilhelm Ebeling,
chairman; and Democratic Awakening (DA), Rainer Eppelmann, chairman;

Social Democratic Party of Germany (SPD), Markus Meckel, acting chairman;

Party for Democratic Socialism (PDS, former Communist), Gregor Gysi,
chairman;

League of Free Democrats (BFD)--Liberals, Rainer Ortleb,
chairman; Free Democratic Party (FDP), Bruno Menzel, chairman; and
German Forum Party (DFP), Juergen Schmieder, chairman;

Alliance '90--New Forum, Baerbel Bohley, Jens Reich, Sebastian
Pflugbeil, spokespersons; Democracy Now, Konrad Weiss, spokesperson;
and United Left, Herbert Misslitz, spokesperson;

Greens Party (GP), Vera Wollenberger, spokesperson;

Democratic Peasants' Party (DBD), Guenther Maleuda, chairman

Suffrage: universal at age 18

Elections:
People's Chamber--last held on 18 March 1990 (next