nce: 7 July 1978 (from UK)

National holiday: Independence Day, 7 July (1978)

Constitution: 7 July 1978

Legal system: English common law

Suffrage: 21 years of age; universal

Executive branch:
chief of state: Queen ELIZABETH II (since 6 February 1952),
represented by Governor General Father John LAPLI (since NA 1999)
head of government: Prime Minister Bartholomew ULUFA'ALU (since 27
August 1997); Deputy Prime Minister Sir Baddeley DEVESI (since 27
August 1997)
cabinet: Cabinet appointed by the governor general on the advice of
the prime minister from among the members of Parliament
elections: none; the monarch is hereditary; governor general appointed
by the monarch on the advice of Parliament for up to five years;
following legislative elections, the leader of the majority party or
the leader of a majority coalition is usually elected prime minister
by Parliament; deputy prime minister appointed by the governor general
on the advice of the prime minister from among the members of
Parliament

Legislative branch: unicameral National Parliament (50 seats; members
elected from single member constituencies by popular vote to serve
four-year terms)
elections: last held 6 August 1997 (next to be held by August 2001)
election results: percent of vote by party - NA; seats by party - GNUR
21, PAP 7, NAPSI 5, SILP 4, UP 4, independents 6, other 3

Judicial branch: Court of Appeal

Political parties and leaders: characterized by fluid coalitions;
Christian Fellowship ; Group for National Unity and
Reconciliation or GNUR ; Labor Party or LP [Joses
TUHANUKU]; Liberal Party ; National Action
Party of Solomon Islands or NAPSI ; National Party [leader
NA]; Nationalist Front for Progress or NFP ; People's
Alliance Party or PAP ; Solomon Islands Labor Party or SILP
; Solomon Islands National Unity, Reconciliation, and
Progressive Party or SINURP (leader of
opposition); United Party or UP

International organization participation: ACP, AsDB, C, ESCAP, FAO,
G-77, IBRD, ICAO, ICRM, IDA, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, ILO, IMF, IMO, Intelsat
(nonsignatory user), IOC, ITU, Sparteca, SPC, SPF, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO,
UPU, WFTU, WHO, WMO, WTrO

Diplomatic representation in the US:
chief of mission: Ambassador Stephen Rex HOROI (represents the country
as both the permanent representative to the UN and the ambassador to
the US)
chancery: 800 Second Avenue, Suite 400L, New York, NY 10017
telephone: (212) 599-6192, 6193
FAX: (212) 661-8925