a and Barbuda Government

Country name: conventional long form: none

conventional short form: Antigua and Barbuda

Government type: constitutional monarchy with UK-style parliament

Capital: Saint John's

Administrative divisions: 6 parishes and 2 dependencies*; Barbuda*,
Redonda*, Saint George, Saint John, Saint Mary, Saint Paul, Saint
Peter, Saint Philip

Independence: 1 November 1981 (from UK)

National holiday: Independence Day, 1 November (1981)

Constitution: 1 November 1981

Legal system: based on English common law

Suffrage: 18 years of age; universal

Executive branch: chief of state: Queen ELIZABETH II (since 6
February 1952), represented by Governor General James B. CARLISLE
(since NA 1993)

head of government: Prime Minister Lester Bryant BIRD (since 8
March 1994)

cabinet: Council of Ministers appointed by the governor general on
the advice of the prime minister

elections: none; the monarch is hereditary; governor general chosen
by the monarch on the advice of the prime minister; prime minister
appointed by the governor general

Legislative branch: bicameral Parliament consists of the Senate
(17-member body appointed by the governor general) and the House of
Representatives (17 seats; members are elected by proportional
representation to serve five-year terms)

elections: House of Representatives - last held 9 March 1999 (next
to be held NA March 2004)

election results: percent of vote by party - NA%; seats by party -
ALP 12, UPP 4, independent 1

Judicial branch: Eastern Caribbean Supreme Court (based in Saint
Lucia; one judge of the Supreme Court is a resident of the islands
and presides over the Court of Summary Jurisdiction)

Political parties and leaders: Antigua Labor Party or ALP [Lester
Bryant BIRD]; Barbuda People's Movement or BPM [Thomas H. FRANK];
United Progressive Party or UPP [Baldwin SPENCER] (a coalition of
three opposition parties - United National Democratic Party or UNDP,
Antigua Caribbean Liberation Movement or ACLM, and Progressive Labor
Movement or PLM)

Political pressure groups and leaders: Antigua Trades and Labor
Union or ATLU [William ROBINSON]; People's Democratic Movement or
PDM [Hugh MARSHALL]

International organization participation: ACP, C, Caricom, CDB,
ECLAC, FAO, G-77, IBRD, ICAO, ICFTU, ICRM, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, ILO,
IMF, IMO, Intelsat (nonsignatory user), Interpol, IOC, ITU, NAM
(observer), OAS, OECS, OPANAL, UN, UNCTAD, UNESC