Politics of Uganda

Data code: UG

Government type: republic

Capital: Kampala

Administrative divisions: 39 districts; Apac[?], Arua[?], Bundibugyo[?], Bushenyi[?], Gulu[?], Hoima[?], Iganga[?], Jinja[?], Kabale[?], Kabarole[?], Kalangala[?], Kampala, Kamuli[?], Kapchorwa[?], Kasese[?], Kibale[?], Kiboga[?], Kisoro[?], Kitgum[?], Kotido[?], Kumi[?], Lira, Luwero[?], Masaka[?], Masindi[?], Mbale[?], Mbarara[?], Moroto[?], Moyo[?], Mpigi[?], Mubende[?], Mukono[?], Nebbi[?], Ntungamo[?], Pallisa[?], Rakai[?], Rukungiri[?], Soroti[?], Tororo[?]

Independence: 9 October 1962 (from UK)

National holiday: Independence Day, 9 October (1962)

Constitution: 8 October 1995; adopted by the interim, 284-member Constituent Assembly, charged with debating the draft constitution that had been proposed in May 1993; the Constituent Assembly was dissolved upon the promulgation of the constitution in October 1995

Legal system: in 1995, the government restored the legal system to one based on English common law and customary law; accepts compulsory ICJ jurisdiction, with reservations

Suffrage: 18 years of age; universal

Executive branch:
chief of state: President Lt. Gen. Yoweri Kaguta MUSEVENI (since seizing power 29 January 1986); note - the president is both chief of state and head of government
head of government: President Lt. Gen. Yoweri Kaguta MUSEVENI (since seizing power 29 January 1986); Prime Minister Apollo NSIBAMBI (since 5 April 1999); note - the president is both chief of state and head of government; the prime minister assists the president in the supervision of the cabinet
cabinet: Cabinet appointed by the president from among elected legislators
elections: president elected by popular vote for a five-year term; election last held 9 May 1996 (next to be held by 31 May 2001); note - first popular election for president since independence in 1962 was held in 1996; prime minister appointed by the president
election results: Lt. Gen. Yoweri Kaguta MUSEVENI elected president; percent of vote - Lt. Gen. Yoweri Kaguta MUSEVENI 74%, Paul Kawanga SSEMOGERERE 24%, Muhammad MAYANJA 2%

Legislative branch: unicameral National Assembly (276 members - 214 directly elected by popular vote, 62 nominated by legally established special interest groups and approved by the president - women 39, army 10, disabled 5, youth 5, labor 3; members serve five-year terms)
elections: last held 27 June 1996 (next to be held NA 2001);
election results: NA; note - election campaigning by party was not permitted

Judicial branch: Court of Appeal, judges are appointed by the president; High Court, judges are appointed by the president

Political parties and leaders: only one political organization, the National Resistance Movement or NRM [President MUSEVENI, chairman] is recognized; note - the president maintains that the NRM is not a political party, but a movement which claims the loyalty of all Ugandans
note: of the political parties that exist but are prohibited from sponsoring candidates, the most important are the Ugandan People's Congress or UPC [Milton OBOTE]; Democratic Party or DP [Paul SSEMOGERERE]; and Conservative Party or CP [Joshua S. MAYANJA-NKANGI]; the new constitution requires the suspension of political party activity until a referendum is held on the matter in 2000

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

Flag description: six equal horizontal bands of black (top), yellow, red, black, yellow, and red; a white disk is superimposed at the center and depicts a red-crested crane (the national symbol) facing the hoist side