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Uruguay GOVERNMENT AND POLITICS
Government: Republic with three separate
branches of
government. Constitution of 1967 institutionalized strong
presidency, subject to legislative and judicial checks.
Executive
power exercised by president (elected for five-year term
by
simple majority of the people through unique voting
system), vice
president (who served as president of bicameral General
Assembly), and Council of Ministers. General Assembly
consisted
of thirty-member Senate and ninety-nine-member Chamber of
Representatives; members of both chambers elected to
five-year
terms through proportional representation system.
Independent
judicial branch headed by Supreme Court of Justice.
Country's
administrative subdivisions consisted of nineteen
departments,
each headed by a governor, subordinate to central
government and
responsible for local administration. Unusual electoral
system
combined primaries and a general election in one event
characterized by a "double simultaneous vote," allowing
each
party's factions to run rival lists of candidates.
Politics: Civilian government restored in 1985
after
twelve years of military rule. Lacalle of conservative
National
Party (Partido Nacional, usually referred to as
Blancos)--elected
president in November 1989 in country's first free
election since
1971--succeeded Sanguinetti of liberal Colorado Party
(Partido
Colorado) on March 1, 1990. Two-party system of these
rival
parties had dominated since nineteenth century but was
dealt
strong challenge in November 1989 elections by win of
mayorship
of Montevideo by Broad Front (Frente Amplio), a leftist
coalition. Other parties in 1989 elections included
various
factions of Colorado Party and National Party and new
left-of-
center, social democratic coalition, New Sector (Nuevo
Espacio).
International Relations: Guided historically by
principles of nonintervention, respect for national
sovereignty,
and reliance on rule of law to settle disputes.
Traditionally an
active participant in international and regional
organizations.
During 1973-85 period of military rule, "military
diplomacy"
focused on national and regional subversion and
geopolitical
concerns. Sanguinetti renewed relations with Cuba,
Nicaragua, and
China and strengthened relations with Soviet Union.
Excellent
bilateral relations with United States during 1985-90
period.
Lacalle continued traditional guidelines of Uruguayan
foreign
policy and placed emphasis on regional integration,
especially
with Argentina and Brazil. Although somewhat ambivalent
toward
United States policy on drug trafficking, Lacalle strongly
endorsed President George H.W. Bush's free-trade
Enterprise for
the Americas Initiative of June 1990.
International Agreements and Memberships: Member
of at
least thirty-two international organizations, including
Organization of American States, United Nations and most
of its
specialized agencies,
World Bank (see Glossary),
International
Monetary Fund
(
IMF--see Glossary), General Agreement on
Tariffs
and Trade, International Telecommunications Satellite
Organization, Latin American Economic System, and Latin
American
Integration Association. Signatory of Inter-American
Treaty of
Reciprocal Assistance (Rio Treaty), Treaty for the
Prohibition of
Nuclear Weapons in Latin America (Tlatelolco Treaty), and
Río de
la Plata Basin Treaty.
Data as of December 1990
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