<hdr>The World Factbook 1994: New Caledonia<nl>Government</hdr><body>
<list>
<item><hi format=bold>Names:</hi>
<list style=hang>
<item>• <hi format=ital>conventional long form:</hi> Territory of New Caledonia and Dependencies
<item>• <hi format=ital>conventional short form:</hi> New Caledonia
<item>• <hi format=ital>local long form:</hi> Territoire des Nouvelle-Caledonie et Dependances
<item>• <hi format=ital>local short form:</hi> Nouvelle-Caledonie
</list>
<item><hi format=bold>Digraph:</hi> NC
<item><hi format=bold>Type:</hi> overseas territory of France since 1956
<item><hi format=bold>Capital:</hi> Noumea
<item><hi format=bold>Administrative divisions:</hi> none (overseas territory of France); there are no first-order administrative divisions as defined by the US Government, but there are 3 provinces named Iles Loyaute, Nord, and Sud
<item><hi format=bold>Independence:</hi> none (overseas territory of France; a referendum on independence will be held in 1998)
<item><hi format=bold>National holiday:</hi> National Day, Taking of the Bastille, 14 July (1789)
<item><hi format=bold>Constitution:</hi> 28 September 1958 (French Constitution)
<item><hi format=bold>Legal system:</hi> the 1988 Matignon Accords grant substantial autonomy to the islands; formerly under French law
<item><hi format=bold>Suffrage:</hi> 18 years of age; universal
<item><hi format=bold>Executive branch:</hi>
<list style=hang>
<item>• <hi format=ital>chief of state:</hi> President Francois MITTERRAND (since 21 May 1981)
<item>• <hi format=ital>head of government:</hi> High Commissioner and President of the Council of Government Alain CHRISTNACHT (since 15 January 1991; appointed by the French Ministry of the Interior); President of the Territorial Congress Simon LOUECKHOTE (since 26 June 1989)
<item><hi format=bold>Territorial Assembly:</hi> elections last held 11 June 1989 (next to be held 1993); results—RPCR 44.5%, FLNKS 28.5%, FN 7%, CD 5%, UO 4%, other 11%; seats—(54 total) RPCR 27, FLNKS 19, FN 3, other 5; note—election boycotted by FULK
<item><hi format=bold>French Senate:</hi> elections last held 27 September 1992 (next to be held September 2001); results—percent of vote by party NA; seats—(1 total) RPCR 1
<item><hi format=bold>French National Assembly:</hi> elections last held 21 March 1993 (next to be held 21 and 28 March 1998); results—percent of vote by party NA; seats—(2 total) RPCR 2
<item><hi format=bold>Judicial branch:</hi> Court of Appeal
<item><hi format=bold>Political parties and leaders:</hi> white-dominated Rassemblement pour la Caledonie dans la Republique (RPCR), conservative, Jacques LAFLEUR—affiliated to France's Rassemblement pour la Republique (RPR); Melanesian proindependence Kanaka Socialist National Liberation Front (FLNKS), Paul NEAOUTYINE; Melanesian moderate Kanak Socialist Liberation (LKS), Nidoish NAISSELINE; National Front (FN), extreme right, Guy GEORGE; Caledonie Demain (CD), right-wing, Bernard MARANT; Union Oceanienne (UO), conservative, Michel HEMA; Front Uni de Liberation Kanak (FULK), proindependence, Clarence UREGEI; Union Caledonian (UC), Francois BURCK
