Dominica: Government#
| Country name | conventional long form: Commonwealth of Dominica conventional short form: Dominica etymology: the island was named by explorer Christopher COLUMBUS for the day of the week on which he spotted it, Sunday ("Domingo" in Latin), 3 November 1493 |
|---|---|
| Government type | parliamentary republic |
| Capital | Roseau
Roseau
geographic coordinates: 15 18 N, 61 24 W time difference: UTC-4 (1 hour ahead of Washington, DC, during Standard Time) |
| Administrative divisions | 10 parishes; Saint Andrew, Saint David, Saint George, Saint John, Saint Joseph, Saint Luke, Saint Mark, Saint Patrick, Saint Paul, Saint Peter |
| Independence | 3 November 1978 (from the UK) |
| National holiday | Emancipation Day (First Monday), celebrated on first Monday in August (1834); Independence Day, 3 November (1978) |
| Constitution | previous 1967 (preindependence); latest presented 25 July 1978, entered into force 3 November 1978; amended several times, last in 2015 (2016) |
| Legal system | common law based on the English model |
| International law organization participation | accepts compulsory ICJ jurisdiction; accepts ICCt jurisdiction |
| Citizenship | citizenship by birth: yes citizenship by descent: yes dual citizenship recognized: yes residency requirement for naturalization: 5 years |
| Suffrage | 18 years of age; universal |
| Executive branch | chief of state: President Charles A. SAVARIN (since 2 October 2013) head of government: Prime Minister Roosevelt SKERRIT (since 8 January 2004) cabinet: Cabinet appointed by the president on the advice of the prime minister elections/appointments: president nominated by the prime minister and leader of the opposition party and elected by the House of Assembly for a 5-year term (eligible for a second term); election last held on 30 September 2013 (next to be held in October 2018); prime minister appointed by the president election results: Charles A. SAVARIN (DLP) elected president by a vote of 19-0 on 30 September 2013 |
| Legislative branch | description: unicameral House of Assembly (32 seats; 21 representatives directly elected in single-seat constituencies by simple majority vote, 9 senators appointed by the Assembly, and 2 ex-officio members - the House Speaker and the Clerk of the House; members serve 5-year terms) elections: last held on 8 December 2014 (next to be held in 2019); note - tradition dictates that the election is held within five years of the last election, but technically it is five years from the first seating of parliament plus a 90-day grace period election results: percent of vote by party - NA; seats by party - DLP 15, UWP 6 |
| Judicial branch | highest court(s): the Eastern Caribbean Supreme Court (ECSC) is the itinerant superior court of record for the 9-member Organization of Eastern Caribbean States to include Dominica; the ECSC - based on St. Lucia - is headed by the chief justice and is comprised of the Court of Appeal with 3 justices and the High Court with 16 judges; sittings of the Court of Appeal and High Court rotate among the 9 member states; 2 High Court judges reside in Dominica; note - Dominica is a member of the Caribbean Court of Justice judge selection and term of office: chief justice of Eastern Caribbean Supreme Court appointed by the Her Majesty, Queen ELIZABETH II; other justices and judges appointed by the Judicial and Legal Services Commission, an independent body of judicial officials; Court of Appeal justices appointed for life with mandatory retirement at age 65; High Court judges appointed for life with mandatory retirement at age 62 subordinate courts: Court of Summary Jurisdiction; magistrates' courts |
| Political parties and leaders | Dominica Freedom Party or DFP (Judith PESTAINA) Dominica Labor Party or DLP (Roosevelt SKERRIT) Dominica United Workers Party or UWP (Hector JOHN) |
| Political pressure groups and leaders | Dominica Liberation Movement or DLM (a small leftist party) |
| International organization participation | ACP, AOSIS, C, Caricom, CD, CDB, CELAC, Commonwealth of Nations, ECCU, FAO, G-77, IAEA, IBRD, ICCt, ICRM, IDA, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, ILO, IMF, IMO, Interpol, IOC, ISO (correspondent), ITU, ITUC (NGOs), MIGA, NAM, OAS, OECS, OIF, OPANAL, OPCW, Petrocaribe, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UPU, WFTU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTO |
| Diplomatic representation in the US | chief of mission: Ambassador Hubert J. CHARLES (since 16 July 2010) chancery: 3216 New Mexico Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20016 telephone: (1) (202) 364-6781 FAX: (1) (202) 364-6791 consulate(s) general: New York |
| Diplomatic representation from the US | the US does not have an embassy in Dominica; the US Ambassador to Barbados is accredited to Dominica |
| Flag description | green with a centered cross of three equal bands - the vertical part is yellow (hoist side), black, and white and the horizontal part is yellow (top), black, and white; superimposed in the center of the cross is a red disk bearing a Sisserou parrot, unique to Dominica, encircled by 10 green, five-pointed stars edged in yellow; the 10 stars represent the 10 administrative divisions (parishes); green symbolizes the island's lush vegetation; the triple-colored cross represents the Christian Trinity; the yellow color denotes sunshine, the main agricultural products (citrus and bananas), and the native Carib Indians; black is for the rich soil and the African heritage of most citizens; white signifies rivers, waterfalls, and the purity of aspirations; the red disc stands for social justice |
| National symbol(s) | Sisserou parrot, Carib Wood flower; national colors: green, yellow, black, white, red |
| National anthem | name: "Isle of Beauty" lyrics/music: Wilfred Oscar Morgan POND/Lemuel McPherson CHRISTIAN note: adopted 1967 |