Suffrage:
18 years of age; universal
Executive branch:
chief of state: President Jacques CHIRAC of France (since 17 May
1995), represented by Prefect Jean-Pierre LAFLAQUIERE (since 19 July
2006)
head of government: President of the General Council Pierre DESERT
(since 26 March 2004); President of the Regional Council Antoine
KARAM (since 22 March 1992)
cabinet: NA
elections: French president elected by popular vote for a five-year
term; prefect appointed by the French president on the advice of the
French Ministry of Interior; presidents of the General and Regional
Councils are appointed by the members of those councils
Legislative branch:
unicameral General Council or Conseil General (19 seats; members
are elected by popular vote to serve six-year terms) and a
unicameral Regional Council or Conseil Regional (31 seats; members
are elected by popular vote to serve six-year terms)
elections: General Council - last held in March 2000 (next to be
held March 2006); Regional Council - last held 21 and 28 March 2004
(next to be held in 2010)
election results: General Council - percent of vote by party - NA;
seats by party - PSG 5, various left-wing parties 5, independents 7,
other 2; Regional Council - (second election results) percent of
vote by party - PS 37.24%, UMP 31.58%, FDG/Walwari 31.18%; seats by
party - PS 17, UMP 7, FDG/Walwari 7
note: one seat was elected to the French Senate on 27 September 1998
(next to be held September 2007); results - percent of vote by party
- NA; seats by party - NA; 2 seats were elected to the French
National Assembly on 9 June-16 June 2002 (next to be held in 2007);
results - percent of vote by party - NA%; seats by party - UMP/RPR
1, Walwari Committee 1
Judicial branch:
Court of Appeals or Cour d'Appel (highest local court based in
Martinique with jurisdiction over Martinique, Guadeloupe, and French
Guiana)
Political parties and leaders:
Guyana Democratic Forces or FDG [Georges OTHILY]; Guyanese
Democratic Action or ADG [Andre LECANTE]; Guyanese Socialist Party
or PSG [Marie-Claude VERDAN]; Popular National Guyanese Party or
PNPG [Jose DORCY]; Socialist Party or PS [Alix LABBE]; Union for
French Democracy or UDF [Georges HABRAN-MERY]; Union for a Popular
Movement or UMP (includes RPR) [Remi Louis DUBOC]; Walwari Committee
(aligned with the PRG in France) [Christine TAUBIRA-DELANON]
Political pressure groups and leaders:
NA
International organization participation:
UPU, WCL, WFTU
Diplomatic representation in the US:
none (overseas department of France)
Diplomatic representation from the US:
none (overseas department of France)
Flag description:
the flag of France is used