, Saint
David, Saint George, Saint Patrick, San Fernando*, Tobago**, Victoria

Independence: 31 August 1962 (from UK)

National holiday: Independence Day, 31 August (1962)

Constitution: 1 August 1976

Legal system: based on English common law; judicial review of
legislative acts in the Supreme Court; has not accepted compulsory ICJ
jurisdiction

Suffrage: 18 years of age; universal

Executive branch:
chief of state: President Arthur Napoleon Raymond ROBINSON (since 19
March 1997)
head of government: Prime Minister Basdeo PANDAY (since 9 November
1995)
cabinet: Cabinet appointed from among the members of Parliament
elections: president elected by an electoral college, which consists
of the members of the Senate and House of Representatives, for a
five-year term; election last held NA November 1995 (next to be held
by November 2000); prime minister appointed from among the members of
Parliament; following legislative elections, the leader of the
majority party in the House of Representatives is usually appointed
prime minister
election results: Arthur Napoleon Raymond ROBINSON elected president;
percent of electoral college vote - 69%

Legislative branch: bicameral Parliament consists of the Senate (31
seats; members appointed by the president for a maximum term of five
years) and the House of Representatives (36 seats; members are elected
by popular vote to serve five-year terms)
elections: House of Representatives - last held 6 November 1995 (next
to be held by December 2000)
election results: House of Representatives - percent of vote - PNM
52%, UNC 42.2%, NAR 5.2%; seats by party - PNM 15, UNC 19, NAR 1,
independent 1; note - the UNC formed a coalition with the NAR
note: Tobago has a unicameral House of Assembly, with 15 members
serving four-year terms

Judicial branch: Supreme Court comprised of the High Court of Justice
and the Court of Appeals, judges are appointed by the president on the
advice of the prime minister

Political parties and leaders: Movement for Social Transformation or
MOTION ; Movement for Unity and Progress or MUP
; National Alliance for Reconstruction or NAR [leader
NA]; National Development Party or NDP ; National
Joint Action Committee or NJAC ; People's National
Movement or PNM ; United National Congress or UNC
Political pressure groups and leaders: Jamaat Al Musilmeen

International organization participation: ACP, C, Caricom, CCC, CDB,
ECLAC, FAO, G-24, G-77, IADB, IBRD,