Uganda - Constitution

The present constitution was promulgated in October 1995, completing a process begun in 1989. It provided that until 2000, elections were to be held under the ‘movement system’ (introduced in 1986), whereby candidates stand as individuals to be elected on personal merit, and not as members of a political party. The ‘movement system’ ended in 2005 when the people voted in a constitutional referendum in favour of introduction of a multiparty political system.

The constitution provides for a unitary republic, an executive president directly elected every five years by universal adult suffrage and Parliament with 332 members, 215 of whom are directly elected every five years by universal adult suffrage; 13 are ex-officio members and the rest are elected from special interest groups by electoral colleges: women (one member from each of 79 districts), the defence force (10 members), youth (5), disabled people (5) and trade unions (5). The president appoints the cabinet. Since 2005 there has been no limit on the number of terms a president may serve.