Government

Angola is governed under the constitution of 1975, as amended. After many years of one-party Marxist rule, Angola is now a struggling multiparty democracy. Its executive branch is headed by a president, popularly elected for a five-year term, who serves as both chief of state and head of government. A prime minister and council of ministers are appointed by the president. Angola has a unicameral 220-seat National Assembly, whose members are elected by proportional vote for four-year terms, and a judicial branch with a supreme court. Its legal system is a mixture of Portuguese civil law and traditional law. Adminstratively, the country is divided into 18 provinces.

The Columbia Electronic Encyclopedia, 6th ed. Copyright © 2007, Columbia University Press. All rights reserved.

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