Government
Country name:
conventional long form: Rwandese Republic
conventional short form: Rwanda
local long form: Republika y'u Rwanda
local short form: Rwanda
Data code: RW
Government type: republic; presidential, multiparty system
Capital: Kigali
Administrative divisions: 12 prefectures (in Frenchprefectures, singularprefecture; in KinyarwandapluralNA, singularprefegitura); Butare, Byumba, Cyangugu, Gikongoro, Gisenyi, Gitarama, Kibungo, Kibuye, Kigali, Kigaliville, Umutara, Ruhengeri
Independence: 1 July 1962 (from Belgium-administered UN trusteeship)
National holiday: Independence Day, 1 July (1962)
Constitution: on 5 May 1995, the Transitional National Assembly adopted a new constitution which included elements of the constitution of 18 June 1991 as well as provisions of the 1993 Arusha peace accord and the November 1994 multi-party protocol of understanding
Legal system: based on German and Belgian civil law systems and customary law; judicial review of legislative acts in the Supreme Court; has not accepted compulsory ICJ jurisdiction
Suffrage: NA years of age; universal adult
Executive branch:
chief of state: President Pasteur BIZIMUNGU (since 19 July 1994);
Vice President Maj. Gen. Paul KAGAME (since 19 July 1994)
head of government: Prime Minister Celestin RWIGEMA (since 1 September
1995)
cabinet: Council of Ministers appointed by the president
elections: normally the president is elected by popular vote for
a five-year term; election last held in December 1988 (next to
be held NA); prime minister is appointed by the president
election results: Juvenal HABYARIMANA elected president; percent
of vote99.98% (HABYARIMANA was the sole candidate)
note: President HABYARIMANA was killed in a plane crash on 6 April
1994 which ignited the genocide and was replaced by President
BIZIMUNGU who was installed by the military forces of the ruling
Rwandan Patriotic Front on 19 July 1994
Legislative branch: unicameral
Transitional National Assembly or Assemblee Nationale de Transition
(a power-sharing body with 70 seats established on 12 December
1994 following a multi-party protocol understanding; members were
predetermined by the Arusha peace accord)
elections: the last national legislative elections were held 16
December 1988 for the National Development Council (the legislature
prior to the advent of the Transitional National Assembly); no
elections have been held for the Transitional National Assembly
as the distribution of seats was predetermined by the Arusha peace
accord
election results: percent of vote by partyNA; seats by partyRPF
19, MDR 13, PSD 13, PL 13, PDC 6, PSR 2, PDI 2, other 2; notethe
distribution of seats was predetermined
Judicial branch: Constitutional Court, consists of the Court of Cassation and the Council of State in joint session
Political parties and leaders: significant parties include: Rwandan Patriotic Front or RPF [Charles MULIGANDE, secretary general]; Democratic Republican Movement or MDR [leader NA]; Liberal Party or PL [leader NA]; Democratic and Socialist Party or PSD [leader NA]; Christian Democratic Party or PDC [leader NA]; Islamic Democratic Party or PDI [leader NA]; Rwandan Socialist Party or PSR [leader NA]; National Movement for Democracy and Development or MRND (former ruling party) [leader NA]
Political pressure groups and leaders: Rwanda Patriotic Army or RPA [Maj. Gen. Paul KAGAME, commander]; Rally for the Democracy and Return (RDR)
International organization participation: ACCT, ACP, AfDB, CCC, CEEAC, CEPGL, ECA, FAO, G-77, IBRD, ICAO, ICFTU, ICRM, IDA, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, ILO, IMF, Intelsat, Interpol, IOC, IOM (observer), ITU, NAM, OAU, OPCW, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UPU, WCL, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WToO, WTrO
Diplomatic representation in
the US:
chief of mission: Ambassador Theogene N. RUDASINGWA
chancery: 1714 New Hampshire Ave. NW, Washington, DC 20009
telephone: [1] (202) 232-2882
FAX: [1] (202) 232-4544
Diplomatic representation from
the US:
chief of mission: Ambassador George M. STAPLES
embassy: Boulevard de la Revolution, Kigali
mailing address: B. P. 28, Kigali
telephone: [250] 756 01 through 03, 721 26, 771 47
FAX: [250] 721 28
Flag description: three equal vertical bands of red (hoist side), yellow, and green with a large black letter R centered in the yellow band; uses the popular pan-African colors of Ethiopia; similar to the flag of Guinea, which has a plain yellow band