Independence: none (overseas department of France)
National holiday: National Day, Taking of the Bastille, 14 July (1789)
Constitution: 28 September 1958 (French Constitution)
Legal system: French legal system
Suffrage: 18 years of age; universal
Executive branch:
chief of state: President Francois MITTERRAND (since 21 May 1981)
head of government: Prefect Michel MORIN (since NA); President of the
General Council Claude LISE (since 22 March 1992); President of the
Regional Council Emile CAPGRAS (since 22 March 1992)
cabinet: Council of Ministers
Legislative branch: unicameral General Council and a unicameral
Regional Assembly
General Council: elections last held 25 September and 8 October 1988
(next to be held NA); results - percent of vote by party NA; seats -
(44 total) number of seats by party NA; note - a leftist coalition
obtained a one-seat margin
Regional Assembly: elections last held on 22 March 1992 (next to be
held by March 1998); results - percent of vote by party NA; seats -
(41 total) RPR-UDF 16, MIM 9, PPM 9, PCM 5, independents 2
French Senate: elections last held 24 September 1989 (next to be held
NA); results - percent of vote by party NA; seats - (2 total) UDF 1,
PPM 1
French National Assembly: elections last held NA June 1993 (next to be
held NA June 1998); results - percent of vote by party NA; seats - (4
total) RPR 3, FSM 1
Judicial branch: Supreme Court
Political parties and leaders: Rally for the Republic (RPR), Stephen
BAGOE; Union for a Martinique of Progress (UMP); Martinique
Progressive Party (PPM), Aime CESAIRE; Socialist Federation of
Martinique (FSM), Michel YOYO; Martinique Communist Party (PCM);
Martinique Patriots (PM); Union for French Democracy (UDF), Jean
MARAN; Martinique Independence Movement (MIM), Alfred MARIE-JEANNE;
Republican Party (PR), Jean BAILLY
Other political or pressure groups: Proletarian Action Group (GAP);
Alhed Marie-Jeanne Socialist Revolution Group (GRS); Caribbean
Revolutionary Alliance (ARC); Central Union for Martinique Workers
(CSTM), Marc PULVAR; Frantz Fanon Circle; League of Workers and
Peasants; Parti Martiniquais Socialiste (PMS); Association for the
Protection of Martinique's Heritage (ecologist)