Legislative branch:
unicameral House of Assembly (30 seats, 9 appointed senators, 21
elected by popular vote; members serve five-year terms)
elections: last held 5 May 2005 (next to be held by 5 August 2010);
note - tradition dictates that the election will be held within five
years of the last election, but technically it is five years from
the first seating of parliament (12 May 2005) plus a 90-day grace
period
election results: percent of vote by party - DLP 52.07%, UWP 43.6%,
DFP 3.15%; seats by party - DLP 12, UWP 8, independent 1
Judicial branch:
Eastern Caribbean Supreme Court, consisting of the Court of Appeal
and the High Court (located in Saint Lucia; one of the six judges
must reside in Dominica and preside over the Court of Summary
Jurisdiction)
Political parties and leaders:
Dominica Freedom Party or DFP [Charles SAVARIN]; Dominica Labor
Party or DLP [Roosevelt SKERRIT]; Dominica United Workers Party or
UWP [Earl WILLIAMS]
Political pressure groups and leaders:
Dominica Liberation Movement or DLM (a small leftist party)
International organization participation:
ACCT, ACP, C, Caricom, CDB, FAO, G-77, IBRD, ICCt, ICRM, IDA, IFAD,
IFC, IFRCS, ILO, IMF, IMO, Interpol, IOC, ISO (subscriber), ITU,
ITUC, MIGA, NAM, OAS, OECS, OIF, OPANAL, OPCW, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO,
UNIDO, UPU, WCL, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTO
Diplomatic representation in the US: chief of mission: Ambassador Swinburne A.S. LESTRADE chancery: 3216 New Mexico Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20016 telephone: [1] (202) 364-6781 FAX: [1] (202) 364-6791 consulate(s) general: New York
Diplomatic representation from the US:
the US does not have an embassy in Dominica; the US Ambassador to
Barbados is accredited to Dominica
Flag description:
green, with a centered cross of three equal bands - the vertical
part is yellow (hoist side), black, and white and the horizontal
part is yellow (top), black, and white; superimposed in the center
of the cross is a red disk bearing a sisserou parrot encircled by 10
green, five-pointed stars edged in yellow; the 10 stars represent
the 10 administrative divisions (parishes)
Economy Dominica
Economy - overview:
The Dominican economy depends on agriculture, primarily bananas,
and remains highly vulnerable to climatic conditions and
international economic developments. Tourism has increased as the
government seeks to promote Dominica as an "ecotourism" destination.
Development of the tourism industry remains difficult, however,
because of the rugged coastline, lack of beaches, and the absence of
an international airport. The government began a comprehensive
restructuring of the economy in 2003 - including elimination of
price controls, privatization of the state banana company, and tax
increases - to address Dominica's economic crisis and to meet IMF
targets. In order to diversify the island's production base, the
government is attempting to develop an offshore financial sector and
is planning to construct an oil refinery on the eastern part of the
island.