Short facts about the government of Saint Lucia
| Country
name: |
conventional long
form: none
conventional short form:
Saint Lucia |
| Government
type: |
Westminster-style parliamentary
democracy |
| Administrative divisions: |
11 quarters; Anse-la-Raye, Castries,
Choiseul, Dauphin, Dennery, Gros Islet, 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 (since 6 February 1952), represented by Governor
General Dr. Perlette LOUISY (since September 1997)
head of
government: Prime Minister Kenneth ANTHONY (since 24 May 1997) and Deputy
Prime Minister Mario MICHEL (since 24 May 1997)
cabinet: Cabinet
appointed by the governor general on the advice of the prime
minister
elections: none; the monarch is hereditary; the governor
general is appointed by the monarch; following legislative elections, the leader
of the majority party or leader of a majority coalition is usually appointed
prime minister by the governor general |
| Legislative
branch: |
bicameral Parliament consists of the
Senate (11 seats; six members appointed 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 elected by popular vote from single-member constituencies to
serve five-year terms)
elections: House of Assembly - last held
23 May 1997 (next to be held NA 2002)
election results: House of
Assembly - percent of vote by party - NA%; seats by party - SLP 16, UWP
1 |
| Judicial
branch: |
Eastern Caribbean Supreme Court
(jurisdiction extends to Anguilla, Antigua and Barbuda, the British Virgin
Islands, Dominica, Grenada, Montserrat, Saint Kitts and Nevis, Saint Lucia, and
Saint Vincent and the Grenadines) |
| Political
parties and leaders: |
National Freedom Party or NFP [Martinus
FRANCOIS]; Saint Lucia Labor Party or SLP [Kenneth ANTHONY]; United Workers
Party or UWP [Dr. Morella JOSEPH] |
| Political
pressure groups and leaders: |
NA |
| 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 (nonsignatory user), Interpol, IOC, ISO (subscriber), ITU, NAM, OAS,
OECS, OPANAL, OPCW, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UPU, WCL, WFTU, WHO, WIPO, WMO,
WTrO |
| Diplomatic
representation in the US: |
chief of mission:
Ambassador Sonia Merlyn JOHNNY
chancery: 3216 New
Mexico Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20016
telephone: [1] (202)
364-6792 through 6795
FAX: [1] (202)
364-6728
consulate(s) general: Miami and New
York |
| Diplomatic
representation from the US: |
the US does not have an embassy in
Saint Lucia; the US Ambassador in Barbados is accredited to Saint
Lucia |
| Flag
description: |
blue, with a gold isosceles triangle
below a black arrowhead; the upper edges of the arrowhead have a white
border | Source: World Factbook |
