ed for 2014

National holiday:
Bastille Day, 14 July (1789)

Constitution:
4 October 1958 (French Constitution)

Legal system:
the 1988 Matignon Accords grant substantial autonomy to the
islands; formerly under French law

Suffrage:
18 years of age; universal

Executive branch:
chief of state: President of France Jacques CHIRAC (since 17 May
1995), represented by High Commissioner Michel MATHIEU (since 15
July 2005)
head of government: President of the Government Marie-Noelle
THEMEREAU (since 10 June 2004)
cabinet: Consultative Committee
elections: French president elected by popular vote for a five-year
term; high commissioner appointed by the French president on the
advice of the French Ministry of Interior; president of the
government elected by the members of the Territorial Congress; note
- last election held 29 June 2004 when Marie-Noelle THEMEREAU was
elected on the third vote with 8 votes for and 3 abstentions

Legislative branch:
unicameral Territorial Congress or Congres Territorial (54 seats;
members belong to the three Provincial Assemblies or Assemblees
Provinciales elected by popular vote to serve five-year terms)
elections: last held 9 May 2004 (next to be held NA 2009)
election results: percent of vote by party - NA%; seats by party -
RPCR-UMP 16, AE 16, UNI-FLNKS 8, UC 7, FN 4, others 3
note: New Caledonia currently holds 1 seat in the French Senate;
elections last held 24 September 2001 (next to be held not later
than September 2007; between now and 2010 New Caledonia will gain a
second seat in the French Senate); results - percent of vote by
party - NA%; seats by party - NA; New Caledonia also elects 2 seats
to the French National Assembly; elections last held 9 and 16 June
2002 (next to be held by June 2007); results - percent of vote by
party - NA%; seats by party - UMP 2

Judicial branch:
Court of Appeal or Cour d'Appel; County Courts; Joint Commerce
Tribunal Court; Children's Court

Political parties and leaders:
Alliance pour la Caledonie or APLC [Didier LE ROUX]; Caleonian
Union or UC [leader NA]; Federation des Comites de Coordination des
Independantistes or FCCI [Francois BURCK]; Front National or FN [Guy
GEORGE]; Front Uni de Liberation Kanak or FULK [Ernest UNE]; Kanak
Socialist Front for National Liberation or FLNKS [leader NA]
(includes PALIKA, UNI, UC, and UPM); Parti de Liberation Kanak or