represented by Prefect Robert POMMIES (since NA 1996)
head of government: President of the General Council Jean-Luc POUDROUX
(since NA March 1998) and President of the Regional Council Paul
VERGES (since NA March 1993)
cabinet: NA
elections: French president elected by popular vote for a seven-year
term; prefect appointed by the French president on the advice of the
French Ministry of the Interior; the presidents of the General and
Regional Councils are elected by the members of those councils

Legislative branch: unicameral General Council (47 seats; members are
elected by direct popular vote to serve six-year terms) and unicameral
Regional Council (45 seats; members are elected by direct popular vote
to serve six-year terms)
elections: General Council - last held NA March 1994 (next to be held
NA 2000); Regional Council - last held 15 March 1998 (next to be held
NA 2004)
election results: General Council - percent of vote by party - NA;
seats by party - PCR 12, PS 12, UDF 11, RPR 5, others 7; Regional
Council - percent of vote by party - NA; seats by party - PCR 7, UDF
8, PS 6, RPR 4, various right-wing candidates 15, various left-wing
candidates 5
note: Reunion elects three representatives to the French Senate;
elections last held 14 April 1996 (next to be held NA 2001); results -
percent of vote by party - NA; seats by party - RPR 1, PCR 2; Reunion
also elects five deputies to the French National Assembly; elections
last held 25 May and 1 June 1997 (next to be held NA 2002); results -
percent of vote by party - NA; seats by party - PCR 3, PS 1, and
RPR-UDF 1

Judicial branch: Court of Appeals or Cour d'Appel

Political parties and leaders: Communist Party of Reunion or PCR [Paul
VERGES]; France-Reunion Future or FRA ; Mouvement
des Radicaux de Gauche or MRG ; National Front or FN
; Rally for the Republic or RPR ;
Socialist Party or PS ; Union for France or UPF
(includes RPR and UDF) ; Union for French Democracy or UDF
International organization participation: FZ, InOC, WFTU

Diplomatic representation in the US: none (overseas department of
France)

Diplomatic representation from the US: none (overseas department of
France)

Flag description: the flag of France is used

@Reunion:Economy

Economy - overview: The economy has traditionally been based on
agriculture. Sugarcane has been the primary crop for more than a
century, and in some years it accounts for 85% of exports. The
government has been pushi