Parliament of Namibia | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Type | |
| Type | |
| Houses | National Council National Assembly |
| Leadership | |
Lukas Sinimbo Muha, SWAPO since 15 December 2020 | |
| Structure | |
| Seats | 146 National Council (42) National Assembly (104) |
 | |
National Council political groups | Government (28) Official opposition (6) Other parties (8) |
 | |
National Assembly political groups | Government (59) Appointed members (8) Official opposition (20) Other parties (25) |
| Elections | |
National Council voting system | Indirect election by regional councils |
National Assembly voting system | Closed list proportional representation and appointments by the President |
Last National Council election | 25 November 2020 |
Last National Assembly election | 27-30 November 2024 |
| Meeting place | |
 | |
| Tintenpalast, Windhoek, Khomas Region, Namibia | |
| Website | |
| www | |
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The Parliament of Namibia is the national legislature of Namibia. It is a bicameral legislature and, thus, consists of two houses: [1] [2] the National Council (upper house) and the National Assembly (lower house).
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All cabinet members are also 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]
