Constitution: 28 September 1958 (French Constitution)
Legal system: French legal system
Suffrage: 18 years of age; universal
Executive branch:
chief of state: President Jacques CHIRAC of France (since 17 May
1995); Prefect Dominique BELLION (since NA October 1998)
head of government: President of the General Council Claude LISE
(since 22 March 1992); President of the Regional Council Alfred
MARIE-JEANNE (since NA March 1998)
cabinet: NA
elections: French president elected by popular vote for a seven-year
term; prefect appointed by the French president on the advice of the
French Ministry of Interior; the presidents of the General and
Regional Councils are elected by the members of those councils
Legislative branch: unicameral General Council or Conseil General
(45 seats; members are elected by popular vote to serve six-year
terms) and a unicameral Regional Assembly or Conseil Regional (41
seats; members are elected by popular vote to serve six-year terms)
elections: General Council—last held NA March 1994 (next to be held
NA 2000); Regional Assembly—last held on NA March 1998 (next to be
held by March 2004)
election results: General Council—percent of vote by party—NA; seats
by party—NA; note—the PPM won a plurality; Regional Assembly—percent
of vote by party—NA; seats by party—NA
note: Martinique elects 2 seats to the French Senate; elections last
held 24 September 1995 (next to be held September 1998);
results—percent of vote by party—NA; seats by party—PS 2; Martinique
also elects 4 seats to the French National Assembly; elections last
held 1 June 1997 (next to be held NA 2002); results—percent of vote
by party—NA; seats by party—RPR 2, PS 1, independent 1
Judicial branch: Court of Appeal or Cour d'Appel
Political parties and leaders: Rally for the Republic or RPR
Political pressure groups and leaders: Proletarian Action Group
Caribbean Revolutionary Alliance or ARC; Central Union for
League of Workers and Peasants; Association for the Protection of
International organization participation: FZ, WCL, WFTU
Diplomatic representation in the US: none (overseas department of
France)