1 January 1804 (from France)

National holiday: Independence Day, 1 January (1804)

Constitution: approved March 1987, suspended June 1988, most articles
reinstated March 1989; in October 1991, government claimed to be
observing the constitution; return to constitutional rule, October
1994

Legal system: based on Roman civil law system; accepts compulsory ICJ
jurisdiction

Suffrage: 18 years of age; universal

Executive branch:
chief of state: President Rene Garcia PREVAL (since 7 February 1996)
head of government: Prime Minister Rosny SMARTH (since March 1996)
cabinet : Cabinet; chosen by the prime minister in consultation with
the president
elections: president elected by popular vote for a five-year term;
election last held 17 December 1995 (next to be held by December
2000); prime minister appointed by the president
election results: Rene Garcia PREVAL elected president; percent of
vote - Rene Garcia PREVAL 88%, Leon JEUNE 2.5%, Victor BENOIT 2.3%

Legislative branch: bicameral National Assembly or Assemblee Nationale
consists of the Senate (27 seats; members serve six-year terms;
one-third elected every two years) and the Chamber of Deputies (83
seats; members are elected by popular vote to serve four-year terms)
elections: Senate - last held 25 June 1995 with reruns on 13 August
and runoffs on 17 September (election held for nine seats 6 April
1997; runoffs to be held 25 May 1997 were postponed); Chamber of
Deputies - last held 25 June 1995 with reruns on 13 August and runoffs
on 17 September (next to be held NA 1999; byelections for two vacant
seats were held 6 April 1997; runoffs to be held 25 May 1997 were
postponed)
election results: Senate - percent of vote by party - NA; seats by
party - Lavalas Platform 17, FNDC 6, National Alliance for Democracy
and Progress 2, RDNP 1, independent 1; Chamber of Deputies - percent
of vote by party - NA; seats by party - Lavalas Platform 67, FNCD 2,
CONACOM 1, PANPRA 1, MRN 2, MKN 1, PROP 1, UPD 2, independents 4,
vacant 2

Judicial branch: Court of Appeal (Cour de Cassation)

Political parties and leaders: National Front for Change and Democracy
(FNCD), Evans PAUL and Turneb DELPE; National Cooperative Action
Movement (MKN), Volvick Remy JOSEPH; National Congress of Democratic
Movements (CONACOM), Victor BENOIT; Movement for the Installation of
Democracy in Haiti (MIDH), Marc BAZIN; National Progressive
Revolutionary Party (PANPRA), Serge GILLES; National Patri