Politics of Rwanda

Rwanda is a presidential republic, based upon a multi-party system.[54] The current constitution was adopted following a national referendum in 2003, replacing a transitional set of documents known as the Fundamental Law and providing a coalition government, which had been in place since the RPF military victory in 1994.[51] The President of Rwanda is the head of state and has broad, unilateral powers to create policy, administer government agencies, exercise the prerogative of mercy, command the armed forces, negotiate and ratify treaties, sign presidential orders and declare war or a state of emergency.[55] The president is selected by popular vote every seven years. The incumbent is Paul Kagame, who took office under the transitional government arrangements in 2000 and won elections in 2003 and 2010.[56][57]

Rwanda is relatively corruption free; in 2010, Transparency International ranked Rwanda as the 66th cleanest out of 178 countries in the world, and 8th out of 47 in Sub-Saharan Africa.[58] The constitution provides for an Ombudsman, whose duties include prevention and fighting of corruption, and public officials (including the President) are required to declare their wealth.[59][60] Under the rule of the current government, Rwanda has experienced high growth rates and a rise in infrastructure and international investment and tourism.[61] However, the government has been criticised by some opposition figures and human rights groups for suppressing dissent in the country, particularly in the periods leading up to elections.[57][62]

The Parliament, which consists of two chambers, makes legislation. The Chamber of Deputies has 80 members serving five-year terms. Twenty four of these seats are reserved for women, elected through a joint assembly of local government officials; another three seats are reserved for youth and disabled members; the remaining 53 are elected by universal suffrage under a proportional representation system.[63] Following the 2008 election, there are 45 female Deputies, 56% of the total, making Rwanda the only country with a female majority parliament.[64] The 26-seat Senate is the upper chamber, selected by a variety of bodies, and including a mandatory 30% women. Senators serve eight-year terms.[65]

Rwanda's legal system is largely based on based on German and Belgian civil law systems and customary law.[54] The judiciary is independent of the executive, although the president and the Senate are involved in the appointment of Supreme Court judges, and the courts sometimes face pressure from the government.[66][67] The constitution provides for two types of court - ordinary and specialised.[68] Ordinary courts consist of the Supreme Court, the High Court and regional courts, while specialised courts are military courts and Gacaca courts, a traditional system which has been revived to expedite the trials of genocide suspects

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