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Country
name:
conventional long form:
none
conventional short form: Jamaica
Data code:
JM
Government
type: parliamentary democracy
National
capital: Kingston
Administrative
divisions: 14 parishes; Clarendon,
Hanover, Kingston, Manchester, Portland, Saint Andrew,
Saint Ann, Saint Catherine, Saint Elizabeth, Saint James,
Saint Mary, Saint Thomas, Trelawny, Westmoreland
Independence:
6 August 1962 (from UK)
National
holiday: Independence Day (first Monday
in August) (1962)
Constitution:
6 August 1962
Legal system:
based on English common law; has not accepted
compulsory ICJ jurisdiction
Suffrage:
18 years of age; universal
Executive
branch:
chief of state:
Queen ELIZABETH II of the UK (since 6 February 1952),
represented by Governor General Sir Howard Felix COOKE
(since 1 August 1991)
head of government: Prime Minister Percival James
PATTERSON (since 30 March 1992) and Deputy Prime Minister
Seymour MULLINGS (since NA 1993)
cabinet: Cabinet appointed by the governor general
on the advice of the prime minister
elections: none; the queen is a hereditary monarch;
governor general appointed by the queen on the recommendation
of the prime minister; prime minister and deputy prime
minister appointed by the governor general
Legislative
branch: bicameral Parliament consists
of the Senate (a 21-member body appointed by the governor
general on the recommendations of the prime minister and
the leader of the opposition; ruling party 13 seats, opposition
8 seats) and the House of Representatives (60 seats; members
are elected by popular vote to serve five-year terms)
elections: last held 18 December 1997 (next to
be held by March 2002)
election results: percent of vote by party—NA;
seats by party—PNP 50, JLP 10
Judicial
branch: Supreme Court, judges appointed
by the governor general on advice of the prime minister
Political
parties and leaders: People's National
Party (PNP), P. J. PATTERSON; Jamaica Labor Party (JLP),
Edward SEAGA; National Democratic Movement (NDM), Bruce
GOLDING
Political
pressure groups and leaders: Rastafarians
(black religious/racial cultists, pan-Africanists); New
Beginnings Movement (NBM)
International
organization participation: ACP, C,
Caricom, CCC, CDB, ECLAC, FAO, G-15, G-19, G-77, IADB,
IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICFTU, ICRM, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, IHO (pending
member), ILO, IMF, IMO, Intelsat, Interpol, IOC, ISO,
ITU, LAES, NAM, OAS, OPANAL, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO,
UNITAR, UPU, WCL, WFTU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WToO, WTrO
©
1997 CIA
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