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 vote-99.98% (HABYARIMANA was the sole candidate) note: President HABYARIMANA was assassinated on 6 April 1994 and 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 (70 seats; members were predetermined by the Arusha peace accord to serve NA-year terms) elections: last held 26 December 1988 (next to be held NA); note-the Transitional National Assembly is a power-sharing body established on 12 December 1994 following a multi-party protocol of understanding election results: percent of vote by party-NA; seats by party-RPF 19, MDR 13, PSD 13, PL 13, PDC 6, PSR 2, PDI 2, other 2; note-the 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 [Alexis KANYARENGWE, chairman]; Democratic
Republican Movement or MDR; Liberal Party or PL; Democratic and
Socialist Party or PSD; Christian Democratic Party or PDC; Islamic
Democratic Party or PDI; Rwandan Socialist Party or PSR; National
Movement for Democracy and Development or MRND (former ruling party)
Political pressure groups and leaders: Rwanda Patriotic Army or RPA, the RPF military wing [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, UN,
UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UPU, WCL, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WToO, WTrO
Diplomatic representation in the US: chief of mission: Ambassador Theogene N. RUDASINGWA chancery: (temporary) 1814 New Hampshire Ave. NW, Washington, DC 20007 telephone: [1] (202) 232-2882 FAX: [1] (202) 232-4544
Diplomatic representation from the US: chief of mission: Ambassador Robert GRIBBIN III 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