accepted compulsory
ICJ jurisdiction

Suffrage: 18 years of age; universal

Executive branch: chief of state: President Arthur Napoleon Raymond
ROBINSON (since 19 March 1997)

head of government: Prime Minister Basdeo PANDAY (since 9 November
1995)

cabinet: Cabinet appointed from among the members of Parliament

elections: president elected by an electoral college, which
consists of the members of the Senate and House of Representatives,
for a five-year term; election last held 11 December 2000 (next to
be held by NA 2005); prime minister appointed from among the members
of Parliament; following legislative elections, the leader of the
majority party in the House of Representatives is usually appointed
prime minister

election results: Arthur Napoleon Raymond ROBINSON elected
president; percent of electoral college vote - 69%

Legislative branch: bicameral Parliament consists of the Senate (31
seats; members appointed by the president for a maximum term of five
years) and the House of Representatives (36 seats; members are
elected by popular vote to serve five-year terms)

elections: House of Representatives - last held 11 December 2000
(next to be held by December 2005)

election results: House of Representatives - percent of vote - UNC
58.1%, PNM 40.8%, NAR 1.1%; seats by party - UNC 19, PNM 16, NAR 1

note: Tobago has a unicameral House of Assembly, with 15 members
serving four-year terms

Judicial branch: Supreme Court of Judicature (comprised of the High
Court of Justice and the Court of Appeals; the chief justice is
appointed by the president on the advice of the prime minister and
the leader of the opposition; other justices are appointed by the
president on the advice of the Judicial and Legal Service
Commission); High Court of Justice; Court of Appeals; The Majistracy
(hears minor civil cases and summary criminal cases)

Political parties and leaders: National Alliance for Reconstruction
or NAR [Hochay CHARLES]; People's Empowerment Party or PEP [leader
NA]; People's National Movement or PNM [Patrick MANNING]; United
National Congress or UNC [Basdeo PANDAY]

Political pressure groups and leaders: Jamaat Al Musilmeen [Abu BAKR]

International organization participation: ACP, C, Caricom, CCC, CDB,
ECLAC, FAO, G-24, G-77, IADB, IBRD, ICAO, ICFTU, ICRM, IDA, IFAD,
IFC, IFRCS, IHO, ILO, IMF, IMO, Intelsat, Interpol, IOC, ISO, ITU,
LAES, NAM, OAS, OPANAL, OPCW, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO,