Data code: MF
Dependency status: overseas collectivity of France
See also: Administrative divisions of France
Government type: NA
Capital: Mamoutzou
Administrative divisions: none (territorial collectivity of France)
Independence: none (territorial collectivity 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 Philippe BOISADAM (since NA)
head of government:
President of the General Council Younoussa BAMANA (since NA 1977)
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; president of the General Council elected by the members of the General Council for a six-year term
Legislative branch:
unicameral General Council or Conseil General (19 seats; members are elected by popular vote to serve three-year terms)
elections:
last held 23 March 1997 (next to be held NA March 2000)
election results:
percent of vote by party - NA; note - only nine of the 19 seats were subjected to voting in March 1997; after the election, seats by party were as follows: MPM 8, RPR 5, PS 1, independents 5
note:
Mayotte elects one member of the French Senate; elections last held 24 September 1995 (next to be held 24 September 2001); results - percent of vote by party - NA; seats by party - MPM 1; Mayotte also elects one member to the French National Assembly; elections last held 25 May and 1 June 1997 (next to be held as a special election on NA May 2002); results - percent of vote by party - UDF/FD 51.7%, RPR 48.3%; seats by party - UDF/FD 1
Judicial branch: Supreme Court or Tribunal Superieur d'Appel
Political parties and leaders: Association for French Mayotte or Association Pour Mayotte Francaise [Didier BEOUTIS]; Democratic Front or FD [Youssouf MOUSSA]; Mahoran Popular Movement or MPM [Younoussa BAMANA]; Mahoran Rally for the Republic or RPR [Soibahadine Ibrahim RAMADAN]; Socialist Party or PS (local branch of French Parti Socialiste) [Hariti IBRAHIM]; Union for French Democracy or UDF [Henri JEAN-BAPTISTE]
International organization participation: FZ
Diplomatic representation in the US: none (territorial collectivity of France)
Diplomatic representation from the US: none (territorial collectivity of France)
Flag description: the flag of France is used