Parliament of Namibia
Parliament is the law-making body of Namibia's legislature. It consists of two chambers:[1][2]
- The National Assembly (Lower chamber) initiates and approves laws. It consists of 104 members, 96 of which are elected by parliamentary election. The other eight are appointed by the president.
- The National Council (Upper chamber) advises the National Assembly on any required changes to subordinate laws that result from law-making in the National Assembly. It can be tasked by the National Assembly to perform other tasks. The National Council consists of 42 representatives of the Regional Councils; every Regional Council in the fourteen regions of Namibia elects three representatives.[2]
Parliament of Namibia | |
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Type | |
Type | |
Houses | National Council National Assembly |
Leadership | |
Structure | |
Seats | 146 National Council (42) National Assembly (104) |
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National Council political groups | Government (40) Opposition (2) NUDO (1)
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National Assembly political groups | Government (71) Appointed members (8) Opposition (33) NUDO (2) APP (2)
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Elections | |
National Council voting system | Indirect election by Regional Councils |
National Assembly voting system | Closed list proportional representation and appointments by the President |
National Council last election | 27 November 2015 |
National Assembly last election | 27 November 2019 |
Meeting place | |
Tintenpalast, Windhoek, Khomas Region, Namibia | |
Website | |
www |
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This article is part of a series on the politics and government of Namibia |
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All cabinet members are members of the lower house. This situation has been criticised by Namibia's civil society and the opposition as creating a significant overlap between executive and legislature, undermining the separation of powers. The seniority of cabinet members generally relegate ordinary MPs to the back benches.[3]
From Namibian independence until 2014 the National Assembly consisted of 78 members, 72 members elected by proportional representation and 6 members appointed by the president. The National Council had 26 representatives of the Regional Councils, 2 from each of the then thirteen regions.[1] Prior to the 2014 general elections the constitution was amended to increase both chambers to their current size.[2]
Speakers of Parliament
- Hon. Prof. Peter Katjavivi, MP - Speaker of the National Assembly
- Hon. Prof. Loide Kasingo, MPHon. - Deputy Speaker of the National Assembly
References
- "GRN Structure. The Legislature". Government of Namibia. Archived from the original on 18 August 2011. Retrieved 29 September 2011.
- Quadri, Maryam Omolara; Thomas, Erika K (2018). "Women and political participation in Namibia and Nigeria: a comparative analysis of women in elective positions" (PDF). Journal for Studies in Humanities and Social Sciences. University of Namibia. 7 (2): 6–9. ISSN 2026-7215.
- Sasman, Catherine (22 March 2013). "Mbumba's presence in Cabinet under spotlight". The Namibian. Archived from the original on 13 April 2013.