The national executive is made up of the president, the vice-president and the cabinet. The national executive is responsible for carrying out the laws, in other words, for putting the laws written by the legislature into action.

The cabinet is made up of ministers (such as the minister of health) who are appointed by the president. Each minister governs a department with public servants doing the administration.

The ministers cannot make their own laws although they can draft new laws or change old laws and ask parliament to pass these. Ministers must make sure that the policies of the government are implemented. Parliament can also ask ministers to explain why they are carrying out policy in a particular way. They report to parliament every year and their budgets are approved by parliament. In this way the executive is accountable to the legislature.

Each province also has its executive. The provincial executives are made up of a premier and members of an executive council appointed by the premier.