Independence:
31 August 1962 (from UK)
National holiday:
Independence Day, 31 August (1962)
Constitution:
1 August 1976
Legal system:
based on English common law; judicial review of legislative acts in
the Supreme Court; has not accepted compulsory ICJ jurisdiction
Suffrage:
18 years of age; universal
Executive branch:
chief of state: President George Maxwell RICHARDS (since 17 March
2003)
head of government: Prime Minister Patrick MANNING (since 24
December 2001)
cabinet: Cabinet appointed from among the members of Parliament
elections: president elected by an electoral college, which consists
of the members of the Senate and House of Representatives, for a
five-year term; election last held 14 February 2003 (next to be held
NA 2008); the president usually appoints as prime minister the
leader of the majority party in the House of Representatives
election results: George Maxwell RICHARDS elected president; percent
of electoral college vote - 43%
Legislative branch:
bicameral Parliament consists of the Senate (31 seats; members
appointed by the president for a maximum term of five years) and the
House of Representatives (36 seats; members are elected by popular
vote to serve five-year terms)
elections: House of Representatives - last held 7 October 2002 (next
to be held by October 2007)
note: Tobago has a unicameral House of Assembly, with 15 members
serving four-year terms
election results: House of Representatives - percent of vote - PNM
55.5%, UNC 44.5%; seats by party - PNM 20, UNC 16
Judicial branch:
Supreme Court of Judicature (comprised of the High Court of Justice
and the Court of Appeals; the chief justice is appointed by the
president on the advice of the prime minister and the leader of the
opposition; other justices are appointed by the president on the
advice of the Judicial and Legal Service Commission); High Court of
Justice; Court of Appeals the highest court of appeal is the Privy
Council in London
Political parties and leaders:
National Alliance for Reconstruction or NAR [Hochoy CHARLES];
People's Empowerment Party or PEP [leader NA]; People's National
Movement or PNM [Patrick MANNING]; Team Unity or TUN [Ramesh
MAHARAJ]; United National Congress or UNC [Basdeo PANDAY]
Political pressure groups and leaders:
Jamaat-al Musilmeen [Yasin BAKR]