Government (New Caledonia)
==========================


     Names:
      conventional long form:
       Territory of New Caledonia and Dependencies
      conventional short form:
       New Caledonia
      local long form:
       Territoire des Nouvelle-Caledonie et Dependances
      local short form:
       Nouvelle-Caledonie
     Digraph:
       NC
     Type:
       overseas territory of France since 1956
     Capital:
       Noumea
     Administrative divisions:
       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
     Independence:
       none (overseas territory of France; a referendum on independence will be
       held in 1998)
     Constitution:
       28 September 1958 (French Constitution)
     Legal system:
       the 1988 Matignon Accords grant substantial autonomy to the islands;
       formerly under French law
     National holiday:
       National Day, Taking of the Bastille, 14 July (1789)
     Political parties and leaders:
       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, UREGEI; Union Caledonian (UC), Francois BURCK
     Suffrage:
       18 years of age; universal
     Elections:
      French Senate:
       last held 27 September 1992 (next to be held September 2001); results -
       percent of vote by party NA; seats - (1 total) RPCR 1
      French National Assembly:
       last held 5 and 12 June 1988 (next to be held 21 and 28 March 1993); results
       - RPR 83.5%, FN 13.5%, other 3%; seats - (2 total) RPCR 2
      Territorial Assembly:
       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
     Executive branch:
       French president, high commissioner, Consultative Committee (cabinet)
     Legislative branch:
       unicameral Territorial Assembly
     Judicial branch:
       Court of Appeal