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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 and, as a result of President Mitterand’s decentralisation policies, Guadeloupe became an administrative region and is represented in the French National Assembly by four Deputies. All four major parties maintain branches on Guadeloupe, although the Socialist party is split between official and dissident factions. Both groups are represented on the Regional Council. The Gaullist RPR, the UDF and other right-wing groups formed an electoral alliance under the rubric Objectif Guadeloupe, which now holds 15 of the 41 seats. The failure of the two Socialist factions to reach agreement gave the presidency to the RPR Deputy to the French National Assembly, Lucette Michaux-Chévry.
At the end of 1992, the French Conseil d’Etat declared the March election invalid owing to irregularities in the payment of electoral deposits (an indicator of the corruption which has pervaded Guadeloupe’s political and commercial systems), and a re-run was scheduled for March 1994. At this, the left retained control of the General Council, and the leader of the ‘official’ Socialists, Dominique Larifla, became its President. The apathy and disillusionment of the general population was, however, reflected in a turn-out of just 15 per cent. The result was repeated, with the same lack of enthusiasm on the part of the electorate, in 1998.
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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