Short facts about the government of Dominica
| Country
name: |
conventional long
form: Commonwealth of Dominica
conventional
short form: Dominica |
| Government
type: |
parliamentary democracy; republic
within the Commonwealth |
| Administrative divisions: |
10 parishes; Saint Andrew, Saint David,
Saint George, Saint John, Saint Joseph, Saint Luke, Saint Mark, Saint Patrick,
Saint Paul, Saint Peter |
| Independence: |
3 November 1978 (from
UK) |
| National
holiday: |
Independence Day, 3 November
(1978) |
| Constitution: |
3 November
1978 |
| Legal
system: |
based on English common
law |
| Suffrage: |
18 years of age;
universal |
| Executive
branch: |
chief of state:
President Vernon Lordon SHAW (since 6 October 1998)
head
of government: Prime Minister Pierre CHARLES (since 1 October 2000); note -
assumed post after death of Roosevelt DOUGLAS
cabinet: Cabinet
appointed by the president on the advice of the prime
minister
elections: president elected by the House of Assembly
for a five-year term; election last held 6 October 1998 (next to be held NA
October 2003); prime minister appointed by the president
election
results: Vernon Lordon SHAW elected president; percent of legislative vote
- NA% |
| Legislative
branch: |
unicameral House of Assembly (30 seats,
9 appointed senators, 21 elected by popular vote; members serve five-year
terms)
elections: last held 31 January 2000 (next to be held by
NA 2005)
election results: percent of vote by party - NA%; seats
by party -DLP 11, UWP 8, DFP 2 |
| Judicial
branch: |
Eastern Caribbean Supreme Court,
consisting of the Court of Appeal and the High Court (located in Saint Lucia;
one of the six judges must reside in Dominica and preside over the Court of
Summary Jurisdiction) |
| Political
parties and leaders: |
Dominica Freedom Party or DFP [Charles
SAVARIN]; Dominica Labor Party or DLP [Pierre CHARLES]; United Workers Party or
UWP [Edison JAMES] |
| Political
pressure groups and leaders: |
Dominica Liberation Movement or DLM (a
small leftist party) |
| International organization participation: |
ACCT, ACP, C, Caricom, CDB, ECLAC, FAO,
G-77, IBRD, ICFTU, ICRM, IDA, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, ILO, IMF, IMO, Interpol, IOC,
ITU, NAM (observer), OAS, OECS, OPANAL, OPCW, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UPU,
WCL, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTrO |
| Diplomatic
representation in the US: |
chief of mission:
Ambassador Nicholas J. O. LIVERPOOL (resident in
Dominica)
chancery: 3216 New Mexico Avenue NW, Washington, DC
20016
telephone: [1] (202) 364-6781
FAX: [1] (202)
364-6791
consulate(s) general: New
York |
| Diplomatic
representation from the US: |
the US does not have an embassy in
Dominica; US interests are served by the embassy in Bridgetown,
Barbados |
| Flag
description: |
green, with a centered cross of three
equal bands - the vertical part is yellow (hoist side), black, and white and the
horizontal part is yellow (top), black, and white; superimposed in the center of
the cross is a red disk bearing a sisserou parrot encircled by 10 green,
five-pointed stars edged in yellow; the 10 stars represent the 10 administrative
divisions (parishes) | Source: World Factbook |
