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World > Africa
> Rwanda > Government and Political Conditions (Notes)
Rwanda - Government and Political Conditions (Notes) |
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GOVERNMENT AND POLITICAL CONDITIONS After its military victory in July 1994, the RPF organized a coalition government similar to that established by President Habyarimana in 1992. Called 'The Broad Based Government of National Unity,' its fundamental law is based on a combination of the June 1991 constitution, the Arusha accords, and political declarations by the parties. The MRND Party was outlawed. In April 2003, the transitional National Assembly recommended the dissolution of the Democratic Republican Party (MDR), one of eight political parties participating in the Government of National Unity since 1994. Human rights groups noted the subsequent disappearances of political figures associated with the MDR, including at least one parliamentarian serving in the National Assembly. On May 26, 2003, Rwanda adopted a new constitution that eliminated reference to ethnicity and set the stage for presidential and legislative elections in August and September 2003. The seven remaining political parties endorsed incumbent Paul Kagame for president, who was elected to a 7-year term on August 25, 2003. Rwanda held its first-ever legislative elections September 29 to October 2, 2003. A ninth political party formed after these 2003 elections. In the spring of 2006, the government conducted local non-partisan elections for district mayors and for sector and cell executive committees.
Challenges facing the government include promoting further democratization and judicial reform; prosecuting hundreds of thousands of individuals for crimes relating to the 1994 genocide, either by the regular court system or the gacaca system; preventing the recurrence of any insurgency among ex-military and Interahamwe militia who remain in eastern Congo; and the continuing work on medium- and long-term development planning.
Principal Government Officials President--Paul Kagame Prime Minister--Bernard Makuza Minister of Foreign Affairs--Charles Murigande Ambassador to the United States--James Kimonyo Ambassador to the United Nations--Joseph Nsengemana
Rwanda maintains an embassy in the United States at 1714 New Hampshire Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20009 (tel. 202-232-2882).
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