Politics of the U.S. Virgin Islands
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Country name:
conventional long form:
Virgin Islands of the United States
conventional short form:
Virgin Islands
former:
Danish West Indies
Data code: VQ
Dependency status: organized, unincorporated territory of the US with policy relations between the Virgin Islands and the US under the jurisdiction of the Office of Insular Affairs, US Department of the Interior
Government type: NA
Capital: Charlotte Amalie
Administrative divisions:
none (territory of the US); there are no first-order administrative divisions as defined by the US Government, but there are three islands at the second order; Saint Croix, Saint John, and Saint Thomas
National holiday: Transfer Day, 31 March (1917) (from Denmark to US)
Constitution: Revised Organic Act of 22 July 1954
Legal system: based on US laws
Suffrage: 18 years of age; universal; note - indigenous inhabitants are US citizens but do not vote in US presidential elections
Executive branch:
chief of state:
President George W. Bush of the US (since 20 January 2001); Vice President Dick Cheney (since 20 January 2001)
head of government:
Governor Dr. Charles Wesley TURNBULL (since 5 January 1999) and Lieutenant Governor Vargrave A. Richards (since January 2003)
cabinet:
NA
elections:
US president and vice president elected on the same ticket for four-year terms; governor and lieutenant governor elected on the same ticket by popular vote for four-year terms; election last held 5 November 2002 (next to be held 7 November 2006)
election results:
Dr. Charles Wesley TURNBULL elected governor; percent of vote - Dr. Charles W. TURNBULL (Democrat) 50.5%, John de JONGH 24.4%
Legislative branch:
unicameral Senate (15 seats; members are elected by popular vote to serve two-year terms)
elections:
last held 2 November 2004 (next to be held 7 November 2006)
election results:
percent of vote by party - NA; seats by party - Democratic Party 10, ICM 3, independents 2
note:
the Virgin Islands elects one non-voting delegate to the US House of Representatives; election last held 2 November 2004 (next to be held 7 November 2006); results - Donna M. Christian-CHRISTENSEN (Democrat) 66%, Warren B. MOSLER (Independent) 28%, Krim M. BALLENTINE (Republican) <1%
Judicial branch: US District Court, judges are appointed by the president; Territorial Court, judges appointed by the governor for 10-year terms
Political parties and leaders: Democratic Party (Arturo WATLINGTON); Independent Citizens' Movement or ICM (Usie RICHARDS); Republican Party (Gary SPRAUVE)
International organization participation: ECLAC (associate), Interpol (subbureau), IOC
Diplomatic representation in the US: none (territory of the US)
Diplomatic representation from the US: none (territory of the US)
Flag description: white, with a modified US coat of arms in the center between the large blue initials V and I; the coat of arms shows a yellow eagle holding an biblical fern branch in one talon and three arrows in the other with a superimposed shield of vertical red and white stripes below a blue panel