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Government
Country name:
conventional long form: Department of Reunion
conventional short form: Reunion
local long form: none
local short form: Ile de la Reunion
Data code: RE
Dependency status: overseas department of France
Government type: NA
Capital: Saint-Denis
Administrative divisions: none (overseas department of France); there are no first-order administrative divisions as defined by the US Government, but there are four arrondissements, 24 communes, and 47 cantons
Independence: none (overseas department of France)
National holiday: National Day, Taking of the Bastille, 14 July (1789)
Constitution: 28 September 1958 (French Constitution)
Legal system: French law
Suffrage: 18 years of age; universal
Executive branch:
chief of state: President Jacques CHIRAC of France (since 17 May
1995), represented by Prefect Robert POMMIES (since NA 1996)
head of government: President of the General Council Christophe
PAYET (since 4 April 1994) and President of the Regional Council
Margarite SUDRE (since 25 June 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 25 June 1993
(next to be held NA 1999)
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—UPF
17, Free-Dom Movement 13, PCR 9, PS 6
note: Reunion elects three representatives to the French Senate;
elections last held 14 April 1996 (next to be held NA); 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 NA2002); 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: Rally for the Republic or RPR [Andre Maurice PIHOUEE]; Union for French Democracy or UDF [Ibrahim DINDAN]; Communist Party of Reunion or PCR [Paul VERGES]; France-Reunion Future or FRA [Andre THIEN AH KOON]; Socialist Party or PS [Jean-Claude FRUTEAU]; Center of Social Democrats or CDS [leader NA]; Union for France or UPF (includes RPR and UDF) [leader NA]; Free-DOM Movement [Marguerite SUDRE]; National Front or FN [Alix MOREL]
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