Suffrage: 18 years of age; universal
Executive branch: chief of state: Queen ELIZABETH II (since 6 February 1952), represented by Governor General Cuthbert Montraville SEBASTIAN (since 1 January 1996) 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; deputy prime minister appointed by the governor general cabinet: Cabinet appointed by the governor general in consultation with the prime minister head of government: Minister Sam CONDOR (since 6 July 1995)
Legislative branch: unicameral National Assembly (14 seats, 3 appointed and 11 popularly elected from single-member constituencies; members serve five-year terms) election results: percent of vote by party - NA%; seats by party - SKNLP 8, CCM 2, NRP 1 elections: last held 6 March 2000 (next to be held by July 2005)
Judicial branch: Eastern Caribbean Supreme Court (based on Saint Lucia; one judge of the Supreme Court resides in Saint Kitts and Nevis)
Political parties and leaders: Concerned Citizens Movement or CCM [Vance
AMORY]; Nevis Reformation Party or NRP [Joseph PARRY]; People's Action
Movement or PAM [Lindsey GRANT]; Saint Kitts and Nevis Labor Party or
SKNLP [Dr. Denzil DOUGLAS]
Political pressure groups and leaders: NA
International organization participation: ACP, C, Caricom, CDB, ECLAC,
FAO, G-77, IBRD, ICFTU, ICRM, IDA, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, ILO, IMF, IMO,
Interpol, IOC, OAS, OECS, OPANAL, OPCW (signatory), UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO,
UNIDO, UPU, WCL, WHO, WIPO, WTrO
Diplomatic representation in the US: Ambassador Dr. Izben Cordinal
WILLIAMS chancery: 686-2636 FAX: [1] (202) 686-5740
Diplomatic representation from the US: the US does not have an embassy in Saint Kitts and Nevis; the US Ambassador in Barbados is accredited to Saint Kitts and Nevis
Flag description: divided diagonally from the lower hoist side by a broad black band bearing two white, five-pointed stars; the black band is edged in yellow; the upper triangle is green, the lower triangle is red