Government

The constitution of Democratic Republic of the Congo, which was adopted in 2005 and came into force the following year, established a mixed presidential-parliamentary form of government. The president is popularly elected and may serve two five-year terms. The national legislature consists of two houses. The National Assembly has 500 members, who serve five-year terms; the majority (440) of the members are elected proportionally, the rest directly. The prime minister is chosen from the party or coalition that controls the assembly. The Senate has 120 indirectly elected members, who also serve for five years. Each province also has an elected assembly.

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

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