Suffrage:
18 years of age; universal
Executive branch:
chief of state: Queen ELIZABETH II (since 6 February 1952); represented by Governor General Dame Pearlette LOUISY (since September 1997) head of government: Prime Minister Stephenson KING (since 9 September 2007); note - Sir John COMPTON died in office Friday, 7 September 2007 cabinet: Cabinet appointed by the governor general on the advice of the prime minister elections: the monarch is hereditary; the governor general is appointed by the monarch; following legislative elections, the leader of the majority party or the leader of a majority coalition is usually appointed prime minister by the governor general; deputy prime minister appointed by the governor general
Legislative branch:
bicameral Parliament consists of the Senate (11 seats; six members appointed on the advice of the prime minister, three on the advice of the leader of the opposition, and two after consultation with religious, economic, and social groups) and the House of Assembly (17 seats; members are elected by popular vote to serve five-year terms) elections: House of Assembly - last held 11 December 2006 (next to be held in December 2011) election results: House of Assembly - percent of vote by party - UWP 50%, SLP 46.9%, other 3.1%; seats by party - UWP 11, SLP 6
Judicial branch:
Eastern Caribbean Supreme Court (jurisdiction extends to Anguilla,
Antigua and Barbuda, the British Virgin Islands, Dominica, Grenada,
Montserrat, Saint Kitts and Nevis, Saint Lucia, and Saint Vincent
and the Grenadines)
Political parties and leaders:
National Alliance or NA [George ODLUM]; Saint Lucia Freedom Party or
SFP [Martinus FRANCOIS]; Saint Lucia Labor Party or SLP [Kenneth
ANTHONY]; Sou Tout Apwe Fete Fini or STAFF [Christopher HUNTE];
United Workers Party or UWP [Stephenson KING]