Central African Republic Government

The government of the Central African Republic is carried out as a semi-presidential republic, which means the responsibilities are shared by a president and a prime minister. The President acts as the Head of State, whereas the Prime Minister acts as the Head of Government and leads the executive branch. Legislative actions are carried out by the Parliament, which is a bicameral body that is made up of the National Assembly and the Senate (which was just added in 2016). The two highest judicial bodies in this country are the Supreme Court and the Constitutional Court.

Elections in the Central African Republic take place within a multi-party system, although a limited number of parties ever have significant government representation. The citizens of this country elect the President to serve a 5-year term. The President may serve 2 terms during their lifetime. After being elected, this individual appoints the Prime Minister and the Council of Ministers. Representatives in Parliament are also elected to serve a 5-year term based on the runoff system, which requires candidates to achieve a certain number of votes before they can take office. If nobody holds the clear majority, candidates with the least amount of support are removed from the ballot and the citizens vote again.

The two houses of Parliament meet in Bangui, which is the capital of the country. The presidential palace is also located in this city, right in the center. In 2013, it was overtaken by political rebels during the period of civil war that resulted in the northeast and southwest of the country being divided.

As previously mentioned, the Central African Republic operates under a system of multiple political parties. Currently, the National Union for Democracy and Progress and the Union for Central African Renewal parties each hold 13 seats in the National Assembly. Other political parties represented in the lower parliamentary house include: the Central African Democratic Rally (10 seats), the Movement for the Liberation of the Central African People (9 seats), and the National Convergence Kwa Na Kwa (7 seats). An additional 23 seats are held by other minor political parties.