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Andorra Government 1999

    Country name:
    conventional long form: Principality of Andorra
    conventional short form: Andorra
    local long form: Principat d'Andorra
    local short form: Andorra

    Data code: AN

    Government type: parliamentary democracy (since March 1993) that retains as its heads of state a coprincipality; the two princes are the president of France and bishop of Seo de Urgel, Spain, who are represented locally by officials called veguers

    Capital: Andorra la Vella

    Administrative divisions: 7 parishes (parroquies, singular—parroquia); Andorra, Canillo, Encamp, La Massana, Les Escaldes, Ordino, Sant Julia de Loria

    Independence: 1278

    National holiday: Mare de Deu de Meritxell, 8 September

    Constitution: Andorra's first written constitution was drafted in 1991; adopted 14 March 1993

    Legal system: based on French and Spanish civil codes; no judicial review of legislative acts; has not accepted compulsory ICJ jurisdiction

    Suffrage: 18 years of age; universal

    Executive branch:
    chief of state: French Coprince Jacques CHIRAC (since 17 May 1995) represented by Veguer Jean-Pierre COURTOIS (since NA); and Spanish Coprince Episcopal Monseigneur Joan MARTI Alanis (since 31 January 1971) represented by Veguer Francesc BADIA Battalla (since NA)
    head of government: Executive Council President Marc FORNE Molne (since 21 December 1994)
    cabinet: Executive Council designated by the Executive Council president
    elections: Executive Council president elected by the General Council and formally appointed by the coprinces; election last held 16 February 1997 (next to be held NA 2001)
    election results: Marc FORNE Molne elected executive council president; percent of General Council vote—NA

    Legislative branch: unicameral General Council of the Valleys or Consell General de las Valls (28 seats; members are elected by direct popular vote, 14 from a single national constituency and 14 to represent each of the 7 parishes; members serve four-year terms)
    elections: last held 16 February 1997 (next to be held NA February 2001)
    election results: percent of vote by party—UL 57%, AND 21%, IDN 7%, ND 7%, other 8%; seats by party—UL 16, AND 6, ND 2, IDN 2, UPO 2

    Judicial branch: Supreme Court of Andorra at Perpignan, France, (two civil judges appointed by the veguers, one appeals judge appointed by the coprinces alternately); Ecclesiastical Court of the Bishop of Seo de Urgel (Spain); Tribunal of the Courts or Tribunal des Cortes, (presided over by the two civil judges, one appeals judge, the veguers, and two members of the General Council)

    Political parties and leaders: National Democratic Group or AND [Oscar RIBAS Reig]; Liberal Union or UL [Francesc CERQUEDA]; New Democracy or ND [Jaume BARTOMEU Cassany]; Andorran National Coalition or CNA [Antoni CERQUEDA Gispert]; National Democratic Initiative or IDN [Vincenc MATEU Zamora]; Liberal Party of Andorra (Partit Liberal d'Andorra) or PLA [Marc FORNE]; Unio Parroquial d'Ordino or UDO [leader NA]
    note: there are two other small parties

    International organization participation: CE, ECE, ICRM, IFRCS, Interpol, IOC, ITU, OSCE, UN, UNESCO, WHO, WIPO, WToO

    Diplomatic representation in the US:
    chief of mission: Ambassador Juli MINOVES-TRIQUELL (also Permanent Representative to the UN)
    chancery: 2 United Nations Plaza, 25th Floor, New York, NY 10017
    telephone: [1] (212) 750-8064
    FAX: [1] (212) 750-6630

    Diplomatic representation from the US: the US does not have an embassy in Andorra; the US Ambassador to Spain is accredited to Andorra; US interests in Andorra are represented by the Consulate General's office in Barcelona (Spain); mailing address: Paseo Reina Elisenda, 23, 08034 Barcelona, Spain; telephone: (3493) 280-2227; FAX: (3493) 205-7705; note—Consul General Douglas R. SMITH makes periodic visits to Andorra

    Flag description: three equal vertical bands of blue (hoist side), yellow, and red with the national coat of arms centered in the yellow band; the coat of arms features a quartered shield; similar to the flags of Chad and Romania that do not have a national coat of arms in the center

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Revised 1-Mar-99
Copyright © 1999 Photius Coutsoukis (all rights reserved)