Government, Legislature

The legislative branch consists of the unicameral (single chamber) Assembly of the Republic. The assembly’s 250 members are elected to represent Mozambique’s provinces through a system of proportional representation, in which voters vote for a list of candidates representing individual parties or coalitions of parties. The members serve five-year terms. The assembly has the authority to veto some of the president’s actions, but the president has the authority to dissolve the assembly before the end of its term. A prime minister, appointed by the president, heads a Council of Ministers, which carries out the administration of government affairs. The prime minister also submits government programs, such as the budget, to the assembly.