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Parliament name (generic / translated) Jirga / National Assembly More photos  >>> Structure of parliament Bicameral Chamber name (generic / translated) Meshrano Jirga / House of Elders Related chamber (for bicameral parliaments) Wolesi Jirga / House of the People Affiliation to the IPU Yes Affiliation date(s) 1990 - 1992 2007 - LEADERSHIP President Fazal Hadi Muselimyar (M)  Notes Elected on 29 Jan. 2011. Secretary General Abdul Muqtader Nasary (M)  Notes Appointed on 16 April 2018. COMPOSITION Members (statutory / current number) 102 / 68 PERCENTAGE OF WOMEN More statistics  >>> Women (current number) 18 (26.47%) Mode of designation indirectly elected 68 appointed 34 Notes The statutory number of members of the House of Elders is three times the number of existing provinces (currently 34). Indirectly elected members: these include one representative from each of the 34 Provincial Councils, serving a four-year term; and one representative from each of the 34 local District Councils, serving a three-year term. Appointed members: appointed by the President for a five-year term. The appointed members include two persons with disabilities, and two nomads. Between December 2005 and January 2015, the 34 seats reserved for District Councils were filled by members of the Provincial Councils. They will remain vacant until District Council elections are held. Term  3-5 years; 3 years for members of local District Councils; 4 years for members of Provincial Councils; 5 years for presidential appointees. Notes Last renewal dates 10 January 2015 (View details) CONTACT INFORMATION Address National Assembly of Afghanistan Darul-Aman Road, Darul-Aman Kaboul, AFGHANISTAN (Export mailing lists) Phone (93) 700 276 986 700 223 604 Fax (93) 20 250 1501 E-mail h.hashemi@parliament.af Website http://www.parliament.af/

Parliament name (generic / translated) Jirga / National Assembly Structure of parliament Bicameral Chamber name (generic / translated) Meshrano Jirga / House of Elders Related chamber (for bicameral parliaments) Wolesi Jirga / House of the People LEGAL FRAMEWORK Electoral law 27 May 2004 Mode of designation indirectly elected 68 appointed 34 Constituencies 68 single-member constituencies for 34 provincial representatives and 34 district council representatives, both indirectly elected. Voting system : Indirect elections: two-round system (TRS, run-off) Voting is not compulsory. Voter requirements N/A; indirect elections. CANDIDATES Eligibility - Citizenship of Afghanistan; - Age: 35 years or over on election day; - Residence in the country at the time of election. Incompatibilities - persons commanding non-official military forces or being part of them. Candidacy requirements - deposit for candidates: 4,000 Afghani; reimbursed if the candidate obtains at least 2 per cent of valid votes in the constituency concerned; - nomination by at least 200 electors of the constituency concerned (throughout the country for Kuchi candidates).

Parliament name (generic / translated) Jirga / National Assembly Structure of parliament Bicameral Chamber name (generic / translated) Meshrano Jirga / House of Elders Related chamber (for bicameral parliaments) Wolesi Jirga / House of the People BACKGROUND Dates of election / renewal (from/to) 10 January 2015 Timing and scope of renewal Renewal of the 34 members indirectly elected by the Provincial Councils. The statutory number of members of the House of Elders is three times the number of existing provinces (currently 34) comprising the following members. - 68 indirectly elected members: These include one representative from each of the 34 Provincial Councils serving a four-year term; and one representative from each of the 34 local District Councils serving a three-year term. - 34 appointed members: appointed by the President for a five-year term. On 5 April 2014, elections to the Provincial Councils were held in parallel with presidential elections On 10 January 2015, 34 representatives (one from each of the 34 Provincial Councils), including three women, were elected. They will serve a four-year term. On the same day, the three year term of the 34 Provincial Council members (who had been filling the 34 seats reserved for District Council members) expired. As at 10 January 2015, the House of Elders comprised 18 women out of 68 members. The 34 seats reserved for the District Councils will remain vacant until District Council elections are held. The mandate of 34 members, appointed on 22 January 2011 for a five-year term, was due to expire in January 2016. On 7 January 2016, President Mohammad Ashraf Ghani extended their mandate until parliamentary and district elections are held. STATISTICS Voter turnout Distribution of votes Distribution of seats Distribution of seats according to sex Men Women Percent of women 84 18 17.65% Distribution of seats according to age Distribution of seats according to profession Comments Source: House of Elders (19.01.2015, 25.01.2015, 29.11.2015, 23.01.2016, 27.01.2016, 28.02.2017)

This page was last updated on 4 July 2018
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