Saint Lucia Government 1997

Country name
conventional long form: none
conventional short form: Saint Lucia

Data code ST

Government type parliamentary democracy

National capital Castries

Administrative divisions 11 quarters; Anse La Raye, Castries, Choiseul, Dauphin, Dennery, GrosIslet, Laborie, Micoud, Praslin, Soufriere, Vieux Fort

Independence 22 February 1979 (from UK)

National holiday Independence Day, 22 February (1979)

Constitution 22 February 1979

Legal system based on English common law

Suffrage 18 years of age; universal

Executive branch
chief of state: Queen ELIZABETH II of the UK (since 6 February 1952), represented byGovernor General William George MALLET (since 1 June 1996)
head of government : Prime Minister Vaughn LEWIS (since 31 March 1996)
cabinet: Cabinet appointed by the governor general on the advice of the primeminister
elections: none; the queen is a hereditary monarch; following legislative elections,the leader of the majority party or leader of a majority coalition is usuallyappointed prime minister by the governor general

Legislative branch bicameral Parliament consists of the Senate (an 11-member body, sixappointed on the advice of the prime minister, three on the advice of the leader of the opposition, and two after consultation with religious, economic,and social groups) and the House of Assembly (17 seats; members are electedby popular vote from single member constituencies to serve five-year terms)
elections: House of Assembly - last held 27 April 1992 (next to be held NA May1997)
election results: House of Assembly - percent of vote by party - NA; seats by party -UWP 11, SLP 6

Judicial branch Eastern Caribbean Supreme Court, jurisdiction extends to Anguilla, Antiguaand Barbuda, the British Virgin Islands, Dominica, Grenada, Montserrat, SaintKitts and Nevis, Saint Lucia, and Saint Vincent and the Grenadines

Political parties and leaders United Workers' Party (UWP), Vaughn LEWIS; Saint Lucia Labor Party (SLP),Kenneth ANTHONY; Saint Lucia Freedom Party (SLFP), Martinus FRANCOIS

International organization participation ACCT (associate), ACP, C, Caricom, CDB, ECLAC, FAO, G-77, IBRD, ICAO,ICFTU, ICRM, IDA, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, ILO, IMF, IMO, Intelsat (nonsignatoryuser), Interpol, IOC, ISO (subscriber), NAM, OAS, OECS, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO,UNIDO, UPU, WCL, WFTU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTrO

Diplomatic representation in the US
chief of mission: Ambassador Dr. Joseph Edsel EDMUNDS
chancery: 3216 New Mexico Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20016
telephone: [1] (202) 364-6792 through 6795
FAX: [1] (202) 364-6728
consulate(s) general: New York

Diplomatic representation from the US the US does not have an embassy in Saint Lucia; the Ambassador to SaintLucia resides in Bridgetown (Barbados)

Flag description blue with a gold isosceles triangle below a black arrowhead; the upperedges of the arrowhead have a white border

NOTE: The information regarding Saint Lucia on this page is re-published from the 1997 World Fact Book of the United States Central Intelligence Agency. No claims are made regarding the accuracy of Saint Lucia Government 1997 information contained here. All suggestions for corrections of any errors about Saint Lucia Government 1997 should be addressed to the CIA.