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Parliamentary developments |
Bangladesh
The parliamentary elections due to take place on 22 January 2007 were postponed on 11 January when the caretaker government declared a state of emergency in the wake of street protests in which at least 40 people were killed. The opposition insisted that the voter list included 10 million names with errors or duplications, accounting for 13 per cent of the 93 million registered voters. On 30 January, the High Court ordered the suspension of all election-related activities until the voter registration process could be completed.
Democratic Republic of the Congo
The re-establishment of both chambers of parliament and the formation of a new government marked the end of the transition process which had begun in 2003. Indirect elections for the 108-member Senate were held on 21 January 2007 and the composition of the government was announced on 5 February. The latter is headed by the Prime Minister,Mr. Antoine Gizenga, and comprises six ministers of State, 34 ministers and 20 deputy ministers.
Islamic Republic of Iran
On 2 January 2007, the Islamic Consultative Assembly passed a bill raising the voting age for parliamentary and presidential elections from 15 to 18 years, despite government opposition. The bill was approved by the Council of Guardians on the following day and will first be applied in the next parliamentary elections, due to be held in February 2008.
Kyrgyzstan
On 30 December 2006, the Kyrgyz Parliament adopted a new Constitution giving expanded powers to the President, including the right to form a government during the transitional period until 2010. President Kurmanbek Bakiev subsequently signed the constitutional amendments into law on 15 January 2007. The Speaker of Parliament, Mr. Marat Sultanov, said the new Constitution would promote the country's stability, while the opposition For Reforms alliance strongly opposed the bill. On 8 November 2006 Parliament had voted for a different constitution that would have reduced the President’s powers in favour of Parliament (see issue no. 24 December 2006).
Mauritania
Elections have been held for both chambers of parliament, which had been dissolved following the August 2005 coup d'état. Indirect elections to the Senate were held on 21 January and 4 February 2006, and 53 senators, including nine women, were elected. Three additional members representing Mauritanians abroad will be designated by the 53 elected members. Presidential elections are scheduled to take place on 11 March 2007, and both chambers of parliament are expected to convene in May 2007.
Nepal
After numerous postponements, an interim constitution was promulgated by the House of Representatives on 15 January 2007. The interim constitution is the result of the peace agreement of 8 November 2006 between the ruling alliance of political parties and Maoist rebels. After its promulgation, the House of Representatives dissolved itself in favour of a unicameral 330-member interim legislature, called the Legislative Parliament. This interim legislature comprises all members of the previous parliament (with the exception of three members who had been appointed by the King), 83 Maoists and representatives of the ruling alliance. It is due to be replaced by the unicameral 425-member Constituent Assembly to be elected by mid-June 2007.
Senegal
On 31 January 2007, the National Assembly adopted a bill re-establishing the Senate. The upper chamber had been abolished by a January 2001 referendum called by President Abdoulaye Wade, only two years after its establishment in 1999 under former President Abdou Diouf. The previous Senate was composed of 60 members (48 indirectly elected and 12 appointed by the President); the new Senate will have 100 members, whose mode of designation will be specified in other legislation. During heated debates in the National Assembly, the ruling Sopi Coalition argued that the improved economic situation and the increased national budget would be able to finance a bi-cameral parliament, while the opposition Alliance of Progressive Forces (AFP) argued that the money should be spent on rural development. The Socialist Party (PS) accused the government of using the bill to strengthen its coalition ahead of the upcoming parliamentary elections, which were due to take place at the same time as the presidential elections, in February 2007, but were postponed until June for what the Government termed financial reasons.
United Arab Emirates
The first ever elections in the United Arab Emirates (UAE) were held in December 2006 for 20 of the 40 seats in the Federal National Council. A total of 450 candidates, including 65 women, contested the elections. Since there are no political parties in the UAE, all candidates ran as independents. The 6,689 voters - approximately 0.8 per cent of UAE citizens - were selected by the country's rulers and included 1,189 women. The newly elected members convened alongside the 20 appointed members on 12 February 2007. The Federal National Council now has nine female members (one elected, and eight appointed).
Venezuela
The National Assembly held an extraordinary session on 31 January 2007 at which it approved a bill granting President Hugo Chávez the power to rule by decree for 18 months. Because the main opposition parties boycotted the 2005 elections, President Chávez’s ruling Fifth Republic Movement (MVR) and its allies control all 161 seats in the National Assembly.
The President received wide powers in areas including territory, defence, science, transportation and State institutions. A similar measure in November 2000 had given him the power to rule by decree for one year on more limited social, economic and administrative matters. President Chávez, who was sworn in for a third consecutive term on 10 January 2007, said that the special powers were necessary to create a socialist society.
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What is the IPU?
The Panorama of parliamentary elections 2006 presents a snapshot of the world's parliamentary elections in images and figures, highlighting electoral events of particular interest or significance. One of the year's highlights was undoubtedly the first multiparty elections in the Democratic Republic of the Congo in more than 40 years.
