History and Government
History
Guadeloupe was among the islands charted by Columbus in 1493. French colonies were established in 1635. The British made brief attempts to occupy the islands during the 18th and 19th centuries, but they have always remained under French control. In 1946, the islands were given the status of Overseas Departments. Following President Mitterand’s decentralisation policy in the 1980s, Guadeloupe became an administrative region in its own right and is represented in the French National Assembly by four Deputies. However, Guadeloupe’s political life has been characterised by apathy and disillusionment among the electorate. Since the 1990s, elections have barely attracted more than 15 per cent of the population. All four major parties maintain branches on Guadeloupe, although the Socialist party is split between official and dissident factions and the fierce enmity between them allowed the right to take control of the Regional Council in 1992: since 1992 this has been run by Lucette Michaux-Chévry, who is also a deputy in the French National Assembly. The most recent poll for the General Council, held in March 2004, returned Jacques Gillot as president of the Council.
Government
The Government Commissioner on Guadeloupe represents France, and the islands send four representatives to the National Assembly in Paris. There is a 42-member General Council and a 41-member Regional Council which have local legislative and executive powers on the islands and are directly elected for a maximum of six years.
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