), English (official), Kiswahili (Swahili) used in commercial
centers

Literacy: definition: age 15 and over can read and write total
population: 48% male: 52% female: 45% (1995 est.)

Government Rwanda

Country name: Rwandese Republic conventional short form: y'u Rwanda

Government type: republic; presidential, multiparty system

Capital: Kigali

Administrative divisions: 12 prefectures (in French - prefectures,
singular - prefecture; in Kinyarwanda - plural - NA, singular -
prefegitura); Butare, Byumba, Cyangugu, Gikongoro, Gisenyi, Gitarama,
Kibungo, 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
Council of Ministers appointed by the president elections: 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 election results:
seats by party under the Arusha peace accord - 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 wom