Politics of Rwanda
Politics of Rwanda | |
|---|---|
| Polity type | De facto: one-party state Nominally unitary dominant-party semi-presidential constitutional republic |
| Constitution | Constitution of Rwanda |
| Legislative branch | |
| Name | Parliament |
| Type | Bicameral |
| Upper house | |
| Name | Senate |
| Presiding officer | Augustin Iyamuremye, Speaker of the Senate |
| Lower house | |
| Name | Chamber of Deputies |
| Presiding officer | Donatille Mukabalisa, Speaker of the Chamber of Deputies |
| Executive branch | |
| Head of state | |
| Title | President of Rwanda |
| Currently | Paul Kagame |
| Appointer | Direct popular vote |
| Head of government | |
| Title | Prime Minister |
| Currently | Édouard Ngirente |
| Appointer | President |
| Cabinet | |
| Name | Cabinet of Rwanda |
| Current cabinet | Kagame government |
| Leader | President |
| Deputy leader | Prime Minister |
| Appointer | President |
| Judicial branch | |
| Supreme Court of Rwanda | |
| Chief judge | Faustin Ntezilyayo |
Politically, Rwanda is a de facto one-party state ruled by the Rwandan Patriotic Front and its leader Paul Kagame since the end of the 1994 genocide against members of the Tutsi ethnic group. Although Rwanda is nominally democratic, elections are manipulated in various ways, which include banning opposition parties, arresting or assassinating critics, and electoral fraud.
Rwandan law developed from Belgian and German civil law systems and customary law takes place in a framework of a semi-presidential republic, whereby the president of Rwanda is the head of state with significant executive power, with the prime minister of Rwanda being the constitutional head of government.
Legislative power is vested in both the government and the two chambers of parliament, the Senate and the Chamber of Deputies. 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 multiparty protocol of understanding.