ngton, DC during
Standard Time)

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 (National 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 Sir James B. CARLISLE (since 10 June
1993)
head of government: Prime Minister Winston Baldwin SPENCER (since 24
March 2004)
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; following
legislative elections, the leader of the majority party or the
leader of the majority coalition is usually appointed prime minister
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 23 March 2004 (next
to be held in 2009)
election results: percent of vote by party - NA; seats by party -
ALP 4, UPP 13

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); member Caribbean Court of Justice

Political parties and leaders:
Antigua Labor Party or ALP [Lester Bryant BIRD]; Barbudans for a
Better Barbuda [Ordrick SAMUEL]; Barbuda People's Movement or BPM
[Thomas H. FRANK]; Barbuda People's Movement for Change [Arthur
NIBBS]; National Democratic Congress [Tillman THOMAS]; United
Progressive Party or UPP [Baldwin SPENCER] (a coalition of three
parties - Antigua Caribbean Liberation Movement or ACLM, Progressive
Labor Movement or PLM, United National Democratic Party or UNDP)

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, Carico