advice of the prime minister,
three on the advice of the leader of the opposition, and two after
consultation with religious, economic, and social groups) and the
House of Assembly (17 seats; members are elected by popular vote from
single-member constituencies to serve five-year terms) election results:
House of Assembly - percent of vote by party - SLP 55%, UWP 37%, NA 3.5%;
seats by party - SLP 14, UWP 3 elections: House of Assembly - last held
3 December 2001 (next to be held NA December 2006)

Judicial branch: Eastern Caribbean Supreme Court (jurisdiction extends
to Anguilla, Antigua and Barbuda, the British Virgin Islands, Dominica,
Grenada, Montserrat, Saint Kitts and Nevis, Saint Lucia, and Saint
Vincent and the Grenadines)

Political parties and leaders: National Alliance or NA [George ODLUM];
Saint Lucia Freedom Party or SFP [Martinus FRANCOIS]; Saint Lucia
Labor Party or SLP [Kenneth ANTHONY]; Sou Tout Apwe Fete Fini or STAFF
[Christopher HUNTE]; United Workers Party or UWP [Dr. Morella JOSEPH]

Political pressure groups and leaders: NA

International organization participation: ACCT, ACP, C, Caricom, CDB,
ECLAC, FAO, G-77, IBRD, ICAO, ICFTU, ICRM, IDA, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, ILO,
IMF, IMO, Interpol, IOC, ISO (correspondent), ITU, NAM, OAS, OECS, OPANAL,
OPCW, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UPU, WCL, WFTU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTrO

Diplomatic representation in the US: chief of mission: Ambassador
Sonia Merlyn JOHNNY chancery: 3216 New Mexico Avenue NW, Washington,
DC 20016 telephone: [1] (202) 364-6792 through 6795 FAX: [1] (202)
364-6728 consulate(s) general: Miami and New York

Diplomatic representation from the US: the US does not have an embassy
in Saint Lucia; the US Ambassador in Barbados is accredited to Saint Lucia

Flag description: blue, with a gold isosceles triangle below a black
arrowhead; the upper edges of the arrowhead have a white border

Economy Saint Lucia

Economy - overview: The recent changes in the EU import preference
regime and the increased competition from Latin American bananas
have made economic diversification increasingly important in Saint
Lucia. The island nation has been able to attract foreign business and
investment, especially in its offshore banking and tourism industries. The
manufacturing sector is the most diverse in the Eastern Caribbean area,
and the government is trying to revitalize the banana industry. Despite
negative growth in 2001, economic fundamentals rem