GOVERNMENT
Country
name:
conventional long form: Territory of New Caledonia and Dependencies
conventional short form: New Caledonia
local long form: Territoire des Nouvelle-Caledonie et Dependances
local short form: Nouvelle-Caledonie
Dependency status:
overseas territory of France since 1956
Government type:
NA
Capital:
Noumea
Administrative divisions:
none (overseas territory of France); there are no first-order
administrative divisions as defined by the US Government, but
there are 3 provinces named Iles Loyaute, Nord, and Sud
Independence:
none (overseas territory of France); note - a referendum on independence
was held in 1998 but did not pass; a new referendum is scheduled
for 2014
National holiday:
Bastille Day, 14 July (1789)
Constitution:
28 September 1958 (French Constitution)
Legal system:
the 1988 Matignon Accords grant substantial autonomy to the islands;
formerly under French law
Suffrage:
18 years of age; universal
Executive branch:
chief of state: President of France Jacques CHIRAC (since 17 May
1995), represented by High Commissioner Daniel CONSTANTIN (since
3 July 2002)
head of government: President of the Government Marie-Noelle THEMEREAU
(since 10 June 2004)
cabinet: Consultative Committee
elections: French president elected by popular vote for a five-year
term; high commissioner appointed by the French president on the
advice of the French Ministry of Interior; president of the government
elected by the members of the Territorial Congress; note - last
election held 29 June 2004 when Marie-Noelle THEMEREAU was elected
on the third vote with 8 votes for and 3 abstentions
Legislative branch:
unicameral Territorial Congress or Congres Territorial (54 seats;
members are members of the three Provincial Assemblies or Assemblees
Provinciales elected by popular vote to serve five-year terms)
elections: last held 9 May 2004 (next to be held NA 2009)
election results: percent of vote by party - NA; seats by party
- RPCR-UMP 16, AE 16, UNI-FLNKS 8, UE 7, FN 4, others 3
note: New Caledonia currently holds 1 seat in the French Senate;
elections last held 24 September 2001 (next to be held not later
than September 2007; between now and 2010 New Caledonia will gain
a second seat in the French Senate); results - percent of vote
by party - NA; seats by party - NA; New Caledonia also elects
2 seats to the French National Assembly; elections last held 9
and 16 June 2002 (next to be held by June 2007); results - percent
of vote by party - NA; seats by party - UMP 2
Judicial branch:
Court of Appeal or Cour d'Appel; County Courts; Joint Commerce
Tribunal Court; Children's Court
Political parties and leaders:
Alliance pour la Caledonie or APLC [Didier LE ROUX]; Caleonian
Union or UC [leader NA]; Federation des Comites de Coordination
des Independantistes or FCCI [Francois BURCK]; Front National
or FN [Guy GEORGE]; Front Uni de Liberation Kanak or FULK [Ernest
UNE]; Kanak Socialist Front for National Liberation or FLNKS [leader
NA] (includes PALIKA, UNI, UC, and UPM); Parti de Liberation Kanak
or PALIKA [Paul NEAOUTYINE and Elie POIGOUNE]; Rally for Caledonia
in the Republic (anti independent) or RPCR-UMP [Jacques LAFLEUR];
The Future Together or AE [Harold MARTIN]; Union Nationale pour
l'Independance or UNI [Paul NEAOUTYINE]; note - may no longer
exist, but Paul NEAOUTYINE has since become a president of Parti
de Liberation Kanak or PALIKA; Union Progressiste Melanesienne
or UPM [Victor TUTUGORO]
Political pressure groups and leaders:
NA
International organization participation:
FZ, ICFTU, PIF (observer), WFTU, WMO
Diplomatic representation in the US:
none (overseas territory of France)
Diplomatic representation from the US:
none (overseas territory of France)
Flag description:
the flag of France is used
