A provision that a foreign resident could be deported if the authorities did not process a properly filed application for a residence permit within 6 weeks was retained and justified as intended to force the bureaucracy to process applications expeditiously. Human rights organizations and the Catholic Caritas organization strongly criticized the residence law. The debate about whether to amend the controversial residence law continued at year's end. The Right of Citizens to Change Their Government Austria is governed through a democratic parliamentary system. The Constitution stipulates that national elections must be held at least every 4 years.
Elections are free and regularly draw high levels of participation.
Ballots are secret. There is universal suffrage for those over 19 years of age. The 1990 election continued a coalition government composed of the two largest political parties, the Social Democratic Party, which won 80 seats in Parliament, and the People's Party, which won 60 seats. Although there are no legal impediments, women are significantly underrepresented in government and politics. Although the political culture in Austria has been and is dominated by men, women are making inroads.