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Parliament of Namibia
National legislature of Namibia From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
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The Parliament of Namibia is the national legislature of Namibia. It is a bicameral legislature that consists of two houses:[1][2] the National Council (upper house) and the National Assembly (lower house).
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 relegates 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] Before the 2014 general elections the constitution was amended to increase both chambers to their current size.[2]
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Leadership
The National Assembly (lower house) elects a speaker and a deputy. Both lose their voting rights for the duration of their tenure. The current[update] speaker is Saara Kuugongelwa; her deputy is Phillipus Katamelo (both SWAPO).[4] The National Council (upper house) elects a chairperson.
See also
References
External links
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