GOVERNMENT
Dominica
has a Westminster-style parliamentary government, and there are
three political parties--the Dominica Labor Party (the majority
party), the Dominica United Workers Party, and the Dominica Freedom
Party. A president and prime minister make up the executive branch.
Nominated by the prime minister in consultation with the leader
of the opposition party, the president is elected for a 5-year
term by the parliament. The president appoints as prime minister
the leader of the majority party in the parliament and also appoints,
on the prime minister's recommendation, members of the parliament
from the ruling party as cabinet ministers. The prime minister
and cabinet are responsible to the parliament and can be removed
on a no-confidence vote.
The unicameral parliament, called the House of Assembly, is composed of 21 regional representatives and nine senators. The regional representatives are elected by universal suffrage and, in turn, decide whether senators are to be elected or appointed. If appointed, five are chosen by the president with the advice of the prime minister and four with the advice of the opposition leader. If elected, it is by vote of the regional representatives. Elections for representatives and senators must be held at least every 5 years, although the prime minister can call elections any time. The last election was held in May 2005.
Dominica's
legal system is based on English common law. There are three magistrate's
courts, with appeals made to the Eastern Caribbean Court of Appeal
and, ultimately, to the Privy Council in London.
Councils
elected by universal suffrage govern most towns. Supported largely
by property taxation, the councils are responsible for the regulation
of markets and sanitation and the maintenance of secondary roads
and other municipal amenities. The island is also divided into
10 parishes, whose governance is unrelated to the town governments.
Principal
Government Officials
President--Dr. Nicholas Liverpool
Prime Minister--Roosevelt Skerrit
Minister for Foreign Affairs--Roosevelt Skerrit
Ambassador to the United States and Organization of American States--Chargé Judith-Anne Rolle
Ambassador to the United Nations--Crispin Gregoire
Although
the Dominican ambassador to the United States has customarily
been resident in Dominica, the country maintains an embassy in
the U.S. at 3216 New Mexico Ave., NW, Washington, DC 20016 (tel.
202-364-6781). Dominica also has a consulate general co-located
with its UN mission in New York at Suite 900, 820 Second Avenue,
New York, NY 10017 (tel: 212-599-8478).
Government Type: Parliamentary
Democracy; republic within commonwealth.
Independence: November 3, 1978.
Constitution: November 1978.
Branches: Executive--president (head of state), prime minister
(head of government), cabinet. Legislative--unicameral house of
assembly. Judicial--magistrate and jury courts, Eastern Caribbean
supreme court (high court and court of appeals), Privy Council.
Subdivisions: 10 parishes.
Political parties: Dominica Labor Party, Dominica Freedom
Party (ruling coalition partners), and United Workers Party (opposition).
Suffrage: Universal adult.
