Part 320

Legislative branch: bicameral National Assembly (Assemblee Nationale) Senate: elections last held 25 June 1995 with reruns on 13 August and runoffs on 17 September (next to be held 25 June 1999); results - percent of vote by party NA; seats - 27 total Chamber of Deputies: elections last held 25 June 1995 with reruns on 13 August and runoffs on 17 September; results - percent of vote by party NA; seats - 83 total

Judicial branch: Court of Appeal (Cour de Cassation)

Political parties and leaders: National Front for Change and Democracy (FNCD), Evans PAUL and Turneb DELPE; National Cooperative Action Movement (MKN), Volvick Remy JOSEPH; National Congress of Democratic Movements (CONACOM), Victor BENOIT; Movement for the Installation of Democracy in Haiti (MIDH), Marc BAZIN; National Progressive Revolutionary Party (PANPRA), Serge GILLES; National Patriotic Movement of November 28 (MNP-28), Dejean BELIZAIRE; National Agricultural and Industrial Party (PAIN), Louis DEJOIE; Movement for National Reconstruction (MRN), Rene THEODORE; Haitian Christian Democratic Party (PDCH), Fritz PIERRE; Assembly of Progressive National Democrats (RDNP), Leslie MANIGAT; National Labor Party (PNT), Remy ZAMOR; Mobilization for National Development (MDN), Hubert DE RONCERAY; Democratic Movement for the Liberation of Haiti (MODELH), Francois LATORTUE; Haitian Social Christian Party (PSCH), Gregoire EUGENE; Movement for the Organization of the Country (MOP), Gesner COMEAU and Jean MOLIERE; Democratic Unity Confederation (KID), Evans PAUL; National Lavalas Political Organization (OPL), Gerard PIERRE-CHARLES; Open the Gate Party (PLB), Renaud BERNARDIN; Haitian National Democratic Progressive Party (PNDPH), Turneb DELPE

Other political or pressure groups: Roman Catholic Church; Confederation of Haitian Workers (CTH); Federation of Workers Trade Unions (FOS); Autonomous Haitian Workers (CATH); National Popular Assembly (APN); Papaye Peasants Movement (MPP)

International organization participation: ACCT, ACP, Caricom (observer), CCC, ECLAC, FAO, G-77, IADB, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICRM, IDA, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, ILO, IMF, IMO, Intelsat, Interpol, IOC, IOM, ITU, LAES, OAS, OPANAL, PCA, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UPU, WCL, WFTU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WToO

Diplomatic representation in US: chief of mission: Ambassador Jean CASIMIR chancery: 2311 Massachusetts Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20008 telephone: (202) 332-4090 through 4092 FAX: (202) 745-7215 consulate(s) general: Boston, Chicago, Miami, New York, and San Juan (Puerto Rico)

US diplomatic representation: chief of mission: Ambassador William Lacy SWING embassy: 5 Harry Truman Boulevard, Port-au-Prince mailing address: P. O. Box 1761, Port-au-Prince telephone: 22-0354, 22-0368, 22-0200, 22-0612 FAX: 23-1641

Flag: two equal horizontal bands of blue (top) and red with a centered white rectangle bearing the coat of arms, which contains a palm tree flanked by flags and two cannons above a scroll bearing the motto L'UNION FAIT LA FORCE (Union Makes Strength)

Economy -------

Economic overview: About 75% of the population lives in abject poverty. Nearly 70% of all Haitians depend on the agriculture sector, which consists mainly of small-scale subsistence farming and employs about two-thirds of the economically active work force. The country has experienced only moderate job creation since President ARISTIDE was returned to power in October 1994. Failure to reach agreement with multilateral lenders in late 1995 led to rising deficit spending and subsequently increasing inflation and a drop in the value of the Haitian currency in the final months of 1995. Potential investors, both foreign and domestic, have been reluctant to risk their capital, planning to "wait and see" what happens in the months following the inauguration of newly elected President Rene PREVAL and the drawdown of UN peacekeeping forces. The PREVAL government will have to grapple with implementing necessary, although unpopular, economic reforms in order to obtain badly needed foreign aid and improve Haiti's ability to attract foreign capital if the Haitian economy is to gain momentum. Haiti will continue to depend heavily on foreign aid in the medium term.

GDP: purchasing power parity - $6.5 billion (1995 est.)

GDP real growth rate: 4.5% (1995 est.)

GDP per capita: $1,000 (1995 est.)

GDP composition by sector: agriculture: 34.8% industry: 23% services: 42.2% (1991 est.)

Inflation rate (consumer prices): 14.5% (FY 94/95)

Labor force: 2.3 million by occupation: agriculture 66%, services 25%, industry 9% note: shortage of skilled labor, unskilled labor abundant (1982)

Unemployment rate: 60% (1995 est.)

Budget: revenues: $242 million expenditures: $299.4 million including capital expenditures of $NA (FY94/95)

Industries: sugar refining, flour milling, textiles, cement, tourism, light assembly industries based on imported parts

Industrial production growth rate: 2.5% (1995 est.)

Electricity: capacity: 150,000 kW production: 590 million kWh consumption per capita: 86 kWh (1993)

Agriculture: coffee, mangoes, sugarcane, rice, corn, sorghum; wood

Illicit drugs: transshipment point for cocaine and marijuana en route to the US and Europe

Exports: $161 million (f.o.b., 1995 est.) commodities: light manufactures 65%, coffee 19%, other agriculture 8%, other 8% partners: US 81%, Europe 12% (1993)

Imports: $537 million (f.o.b., 1995 est.) commodities: machines and manufactures 34%, food and beverages 22%, petroleum products 14%, chemicals 10%, fats and oils 9% partners: US 51%, Europe 16%, Latin America 18% (1993)

External debt: $827 million (September 1995 est.)

Economic aid: recipient: ODA, $NA

Currency: 1 gourde (G) = 100 centimes