16 May 2000)
election results: Leonel FERNANDEZ Reyna elected president; percent
of vote--Leonel FERNANDEZ Reyna (PLD) 51.25%, Jose Francisco PENA
Gomez (PRD) 48.75%

Legislative branch: bicameral National Congress or Congreso
Nacional consists of the Senate or Senado (30 seats; members are
elected by popular vote to serve four-year terms) and the Chamber of
Deputies or Camara de Diputados (120 seats; members are elected by
popular vote to serve four-year terms)
elections: Senate--last held 16 May 1998 (next to be held NA May
2002); Chamber of Deputies--last held 16 May 1998 (next to be held NA
May 2002)
election results: Senate--percent of vote by party--NA; seats by
party--PRD 24, PLD 4, PRSC 2; Chamber of Deputies--percent of vote by
party--NA; seats by party--PRD 83, PLD 49, PRSC 17

Judicial branch: Supreme Court or Corte Suprema (judges are
elected by a Council made up of legislative and executive members
with the president presiding)

Political parties and leaders:
Rene BEAUCHAMPS Javier]; Liberal Party of the Dominican Republic or
note: in 1983 several leftist parties, including the PCD, joined to
form the Dominican Leftist Front or FID; however, they still retain
individual party structures

Political pressure groups and leaders: Collective of Popular
Organizations or COP

International organization participation: ACP, Caricom
(observer), ECLAC, FAO, G-11, G-77, IADB, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICFTU,
ICRM, IDA, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, IHO, ILO, IMF, IMO, Intelsat, Interpol,
IOC, IOM, ISO (subscriber), ITU, LAES, LAIA (observer), NAM (guest),
OAS, OPANAL, OPCW, PCA, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UPU, WCL, WFTU,
WHO, WMO, WToO, WTrO

Diplomatic representation in the US:
chief of mission: Ambassador Bernardo VEGA Boyrie
chancery: 1715 22nd Street NW, Washington, DC 20008
consulate(s) general: Boston, Chicago, Los Angeles, Mayaguez (Puerto
Rico), Miami, New Orleans, New York, Philadelphia, San Francisco,
and San Juan (Puerto Rico)
consulate(s): Charlotte Amalie (Virgin Islands), Detroit, Houston,
Jacksonville, Mobile, and Ponce (Puerto Rico)

Diplomatic representation from the US:
chief of mission: Ambassador (vacant)
embassy: corner of Calle Cesar Nicolas Penson and Calle Leopoldo
Navarro, Santo Domingo
mailing address: Unit 5500, APO AA 34041-5500

Flag description: a centered white cross that extends to the
edges divides the flag into four