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 (of France) Jacques CHIRAC (since 17 May
1995), represented by Prefect Michel DIEFENBACHER (since NA March
1995), who was appointed by the French Ministry of Interior
head of government: President of the General Council Dominique
LARIFLA (since NA); President of the Regional Council Lucette
MICHAUX-CHEVRY (since 22 March 1992)
Legislative branch: unicameral General Council and unicameral
Regional Council
General Council: elections last held 22 March 1992 (next to be held
by NA 1996); results - percent of vote by party NA; seats - (43
total) FRUI.G 13, RPR/DUD 13, PPDG 8, FGPS 3, PCG 3, UPLG 1, PSG 1,
independent 1
Regional Council: elections last held 31 January 1994 (next to be
held by 16 March 1998); results - RPR/FGPS-dissadents 48.30%, FGPS
17.09%, FRUI.G 7.44%, PPDG 8.90%, UPLG 7.75% PCG 6.05%; seats - (41
total) RPR/FGPS-dissadents 22, FGPS/FRUI.G 9, PPDG 5, PCG 3, UPLG 2
French Senate: elections last held in September 1995 (next to be
held NA September 2004); Guadeloupe elects two representatives;
results - percent of vote by party NA; seats - (2 total) PPDG 1,
FGPS 1
French National Assembly: elections last held on 21 and 28 March
1993 (next to be held NA March 1998); Guadeloupe elects four
representatives; results - percent of vote by party NA; seats - (4
total) FGPS 1, RPR 1, PPDG 1, independent 1
Judicial branch: Court of Appeal (Cour d'Appel) with jurisdiction
over Guadeloupe, French Guiana, and Martinique
Political parties and leaders: Rally for the Republic (RPR),
Daniel BEAUBRUN; Communist Party of Guadeloupe (PCG), Christian
Medard CELESTE; Socialist Party (FGPS), Georges LOUISOR; Popular
Union for the Liberation of Guadeloupe (UPLG), Claude MAKOUKE; FGPS
Dissidents (FRUI.G), Dominique LARIFLA; Union for French Democracy
(UDF), Marcel ESDRAS; Progressive Democratic Party (PPDG), Henri
BANGOU
Other political or pressure groups: Movement for Independent
Guadeloupe (MPGI); General Union of Guadeloupe Workers (UGTG);
General Federation of Guadeloupe Workers (CGT-G); Christian Movement
for the Liberation of Guadeloupe (KLPG)