Politics of Uganda
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The Politics of Uganda is based on a democratic parliamentary system with universal suffrage for all citizens over 18 years of age.
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Executive
The head of state in Uganda is the President, who is elected by a popular vote to a five-year term. This is currently Yoweri Museveni, who is also the head of the armed forces. The last presidential elections were in March 2001 and will take place again at some point in 2006.
The cabinet is appointed by the president from among elected legislators. The prime minister, currently Apolo Nsibambi, assists the president in the supervision of the cabinet.
Legislature
Legislative responsibility is vested in the unicameral 303-person national assembly. 214 members are directly elected, the remaining 81 are nominated by legally established special interest groups: women 56, army 10, disabled 5, youth 5, labor 5. The last national assembly elections were held in June 2001 and the next are due May or June 2006.
Judiciary
The Ugandan judiciary operates as an independent branch of government and consists of magistrate's courts, high courts, courts of appeals, and the Supreme Court. Judges for the High Court are appointed by the president; Judges for the Court of Appeal are appointed by the president and approved by the legislature.
Constitution
The Ugandan constitution was adopted on October 8 1995 by the interim, 284-member Constituent Assembly, charged with debating the draft constitution that had been proposed in May 1993.
In 1995, the government restored the legal system to one based on English common law and customary law. Uganda accepts compulsory International Court of Justice jurisdiction, with reservations.
Political parties and leaders
Only one political organization, the Movement (formerly the National Resistance Movement) is allowed to operate unfettered. The president, who also chairs the Movement, maintains that the Movement is not a political party, but a mass organization, which claims the loyalty of all Ugandans. The constitution requires the suspension of political parties while the Movement organization is in governance.
Of the political parties that exist but are prohibited from sponsoring candidates, the most important are:
- Uganda People's Congress, led by Milton Obote
- Democratic Party or DP led by Paul Ssemogerere
- Conservative Party (Uganda) led by Ken Lukyamuzi
- Justice Forum led by Muhammad Kibirige Mayanja
- National Democrats Forum, led by Chapaa Karuhanga
Other political movements in the country include Ugandan anarchists.[1] (http://uganda.blogspirit.com/)
On 4 May 2005, the Ugandan Parliament voted to conduct a referendum on the reintroduction of party politics in Uganda.[2] (http://www.monitor.co.ug/news/news05062.php)
Ministries of Uganda
- Ministry of Foreign Affairs
- Ministry of Justice & Constitutional Affairs
- Ministry of Public Service
- Ministry of Finance & Planning
- Ministry of Education and Sports
- Minister of Local Government
- Ministry of Health
- Ministry of Works, Housing and Communications
- Ministry of Internal Affairs
- Ministry of Water, Lands and Environment
- Ministry of Gender, Labour & Social Development
- Ministry of Energy and Minerals
- Ministry of Defense
- Ministry of Agriculture, Animal, Husbandry and Fisheries
- Ministry of Tourism, Trade & Industry
International organization participation:
ACP, AfDB, C, CCC, EADB, ECA, FAO, G-77, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICC, ICFTU, ICRM, IDA, IDB, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, IGAD, ILO, IMF, Intelsat, Interpol, IOC, IOM, ISO (correspondent), ITU, NAM, OAU, OIC, OPCW, PCA, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNHCR, UNIDO, UPU, WFTU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WToO, WTrO
External links
- Parliament of Uganda (http://www.parliament.go.ug/)
- State House of Uganda (http://www.statehouse.go.ug/index.php)
- Constitution of the Republic of Uganda (http://www.parliament.go.ug/Constitute.htm)
- Party Politics in Uganda, 1963-2000 (http://www.janda.org/ICPP/ICPP2000/Countries/9-CentralEastAfrica/98-Uganda/98-Uganda63-00.htm), Christina Nyströmee
Press articles
- Uganda's opposition join forces (http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/africa/3493311.stm), BBC News, 16 February 2004