Suffrage: 18 years of age; universal and compulsory
Executive branch: chief of state: President Carlos Roberto FLORES Facusse (since 27 January 1998); First Vice President William HANDAL; Second Vice President Gladys CABALLERO de Arevalo; Third Vice President Hector Vidal CERRATO Hernandez; note-the president is both the chief of state and head of government head of government: President Carlos Roberto FLORES Facusse (since 27 January 1998); First Vice President William HANDAL; Second Vice President Gladys CABALLERO de Arevalo; Third Vice President Hector Vidal CERRATO Hernandez; note-the president is both the chief of state and head of government cabinet: Cabinet elections: president elected by popular vote for a four-year term; election last held 30 November 1997 (next to be held NA November 2001) election results: Carlos FLORES Facusse elected president; percent of vote-Carlos FLORES Facusse (PLH) 53%, Nora de MELGAR (PNH) 42%, other 5%
Legislative branch: unicameral National Assembly or Asamblea Nacional (128 seats; members are elected by popular vote to serve four-year terms) elections: last held on 30 November 1997 (next to be held November 2001) election results: percent of vote by party-PLH 50%, PNH 42%, PINU-SD 4%, PDCH 2%, other 2%; seats by party-PLH 70, PNH 55, PINU-SD 3
Judicial branch: Supreme Court of Justice (Corte Suprema de Justica), judges are elected for four-year terms by the National Assembly
Political parties and leaders: Liberal Party (PLH), Raphael PINEDA
Ponce, president; National Party of Honduras (PNH), Nora MELGAR,
president; National Innovation and Unity Party-Social Democratic Party
(PINU-SD), Olban VALLADARES, president; Christian Democratic Party
(PDCH)
Political pressure groups and leaders: National Association of
Honduran Campesinos (ANACH); Honduran Council of Private Enterprise
(COHEP); Confederation of Honduran Workers (CTH); National Union of
Campesinos (UNC); General Workers Confederation (CGT); United
Federation of Honduran Workers (FUTH); Committee for the Defense of
Human Rights in Honduras (CODEH); Coordinating Committee of Popular
Organizations (CCOP)
International organization participation: BCIE, CACM, ECLAC, FAO,
G-77, IADB, IBRD, ICAO, ICFTU, ICRM, IDA, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, ILO, IMF,
IMO, Intelsat, Interpol, IOC, IOM, ITU, LAES, LAIA (observer),
MINURSO, NAM, OAS, OPANAL, PCA, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UNMIH, UPU,
WCL, WFTU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTrO
Diplomatic representation in the US: chief of mission: Ambassador Edgardo DUMAS Rodriguez chancery: 3007 Tilden Street NW, Washington, DC 20008 telephone: [1] (202) 966-7702, 2604, 5008, 4596 FAX: [1] (202) 966-9751 consulate(s) general: Chicago, Houston, Los Angeles, Miami, New Orleans, New York, San Francisco, and San Juan (Puerto Rico) consulate(s): Boston, Detroit, and Jacksonville
Diplomatic representation from the US: chief of mission: Ambassador James Francis CREAGAN (29 July 1996) embassy: Avenida La Paz, Apartado Postal No. 3453, Tegucigalpa mailing address: American Embassy, APO AA 34022, Tegucigalpa telephone: [504] 36-9320, 38-5114 FAX: [504] 36-9037
Flag description: three equal horizontal bands of blue (top), white, and blue with five blue five-pointed stars arranged in an X pattern centered in the white band; the stars represent the members of the former Federal Republic of Central America-Costa Rica, El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras, and Nicaragua; similar to the flag of El Salvador, which features a round emblem encircled by the words REPUBLICA DE EL SALVADOR EN LA AMERICA CENTRAL centered in the white band; also similar to the flag of Nicaragua, which features a triangle encircled by the word REPUBLICA DE NICARAGUA on top and AMERICA CENTRAL on the bottom, centered in the white band