Government of St. Lucia

source: CIA World Fact Book 1997

• conventional long form: none
• conventional short form: Saint Lucia

Data code: ST

Government type: parliamentary democracy

National capital: Castries

Administrative divisions: 11 quarters; Anse La Raye, Castries, Choiseul, Dauphin, Dennery, Gros Islet, Laborie, Micoud, Praslin, Soufriere, Vieux Fort

Independence: 22 February 1979 (from UK)

National holiday: Independence Day, 22 February (1979)

Constitution: 22 February 1979

Legal system: based on English common law

Suffrage: 18 years of age; universal

• chief of state: Queen ELIZABETH II of the UK (since 6 February 1952), represented by Governor General William George MALLET (since 1 June 1996)
• head of government : Prime Minister Vaughn LEWIS (since 31 March 1996)
• cabinet: Cabinet appointed by the governor general on the advice of the prime minister
• elections: none; the queen is a hereditary 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

• bicameral Parliament consists of the Senate (an 11-member body, six 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 from single member constituencies to serve five-year terms)
• elections: House of Assembly - last held 27 April 1992 (next to be held NA May 1997)
• election results: House of Assembly - percent of vote by party - NA; 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: United Workers' Party (UWP), Vaughn LEWIS; Saint Lucia Labor Party (SLP), Kenneth ANTHONY; Saint Lucia Freedom Party (SLFP), Martinus FRANCOIS

International organization participation: ACCT (associate), ACP, C, Caricom, CDB, ECLAC, FAO, G-77, IBRD, ICAO, ICFTU, ICRM, IDA, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, ILO, IMF, IMO, Intelsat (nonsignatory user), Interpol, IOC, ISO (subscriber), NAM, OAS, OECS, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UPU, WCL, WFTU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTrO

• chief of mission: Ambassador Dr. Joseph Edsel EDMUNDS
• chancery: 3216 New Mexico Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20016
• telephone: [1] (202) 364-6792 through 6795
• FAX: [1] (202) 364-6728
• consulate(s) general: New York

Diplomatic representation from the US: the US does not have an embassy in Saint Lucia; the Ambassador to Saint Lucia resides in Bridgetown (Barbados)

Flag description: blue with a gold isosceles triangle below a black arrowhead; the upper edges of the arrowhead have a white border