o, Kibuye, Kigali Rurale, Kigali-ville, 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 as Fundamental Law the constitution of 18 June 1991,
provisions of the 1993 Arusha peace accord, the July 1994
Declaration by the Rwanda Patriotic Front, and the November 1994
multiparty 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: 18 years of age; universal adult

Executive branch: chief of state: President Maj. Gen. Paul KAGAME
(FPR) (since 22 April 2000)

head of government: Prime Minister Bernard MAKUZA (since 8 March
2000)

cabinet: Council of Ministers appointed by the president

elections: normally the president is elected by popular vote for a
five-year term; special election for new president by deputies of
the National Assembly and governmental ministers held 17 April 2000
(next national election to be held NA 2003); prime minister is
appointed by the president

election results: Paul KAGAME (FPR) elected president in a special
parliamentary/ministerial ballot receiving 81 of a possible 86 votes

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 multiparty
protocol of understanding; members were named by their parties,
number of seats per party predetermined by the Arusha peace accord)

note: four additional seats, two for women and two for youth, added
in 2001

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 party - NA%; seats by party -
FPR 13, MDR 13, PSD 13, PL 13, PDC 6, RPA 6, PSR 2, PDI 2, UDPR 2;
note - the distribution of seats was predetermined, four additional
seats (two for women and two for youth) added in 2001

Judicial branch: Supreme Court; communal courts; appeals courts

Political parties and leaders