South Africa
Country on the southern tip of Africa, bounded north by Namibia, Botswana,
and Zimbabwe and northeast by Mozambique and Swaziland.
Government
In Nov 1993 the South African government and the African National Congress
(ANC) agreed on an interim constitution, which was adopted by the Transitional
Executive Council in Dec 1993 and took effect after the first multiracial
elections in April 1994. It provides for a National Assembly of 400
members, elected by a system of proportional representation through
national and regional party lists, and a 90-member Senate, consisting
of 10 members from each regional assembly. Elections are by universal
adult suffrage. The president, who is head of state and government,
is elected by the National Assembly and appoints a first deputy president,
to act as premier, from the majority party within the Assembly, and
a second deputy president from the second-largest party. Any party with
20% of the national vote is entitled to nominate a deputy president,
to be appointed by the president. The appointments are subject to confirmation
by the National Assembly.
The earlier 1984 constitution was based on racial discrimination in
the context of apartheid, with black Africans completely unrepresented
at national level.
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