Back المجلس الوطني الصحراوي Arabic Nationalrat der Demokratischen Arabischen Republik Sahara German Consejo Nacional Saharaui Spanish Conseil national sahraoui French Consiglio nazionale sahrawi Italian サハラ国民評議会 Japanese Nationale Raad van de Sahrawi Dutch Сахарский национальный совет Russian Västsaharas nationalråd Swedish 撒哈拉全国委员会 Chinese
Sahrawi National Council المجلس الوطني الصحراوي Consejo Nacional Saharaui | |
|---|---|
| 12th Period | |
 | |
| Type | |
| Type | |
| History | |
| Founded | 1976 |
| Preceded by | Djema'a |
| Leadership | |
President | |
| Structure | |
| Seats | 51 members |
Political groups | Government Polisario Front (51) |
| Committees | Six[1]
|
| Elections | |
| Single non-transferable vote | |
Last election | 8–9 April 2023 |
| Meeting place | |
| Sahrawi refugee camps or Tifariti | |
 |
|---|
The Sahrawi National Council (SNC; Arabic: المجلس الوطني الصحراوي, Spanish: Consejo Nacional Saharaui) or Sahrawi Parliament is the legislature of the Sahrawi Arab Democratic Republic. Its structure and competences are guided by the Constitution of the Sahrawi Arab Democratic Republic (SADR). The present speaker since 2020 is Hamma Salama.
It was first created by Polisario Front members and Sahrawi tribal notables as the Provisionary National Council in April or November 1975, after the proclamation of Guelta Zemmur. On February 27, 1976, POLISARIO leader El-Ouali Mustapha Sayed announced that the Council had declared the creation of the Sahrawi Arab Democratic Republic, of which it became the first parliament. On the POLISARIO's III General Popular Congress (August 26–30, 1976), a newly elected membership was formally installed as the Sahrawi National Council.
The SNC is a unicameral body, with 53 seats,[2] elected every two years (since the XIII POLISARIO Congress[3]) at the General Popular Congresses by delegates from the Sahrawi refugee camps at Tindouf province, Algeria, supplemented by representatives of the Sahrawi People's Liberation Army and the civil society organizations (UJSARIO, UNMS, UGTSARIO).[4] In the last election (2012), 35% of the parliamentarians were women. It usually convenes in Tifariti, at the Liberated Territories of Western Sahara, but on occasion also in the refugee camps.
Among the reforms enacted by the SNC is the abolishment of death penalty. In 1999, the SNC caused the fall of then Prime Ministers Mahfoud Ali Beiba government through a motion of no-confidence. The powers of the SNC were substantially expanded in the 1991 constitutional reforms of the SADR, and has since been further enhanced.
- ^ "La República Árabe Saharaui Democrática (RASD)" [The Sahrawi Arab Democratic Republic (SADR)]. saharaoccidental.es (in Spanish). Retrieved 2023-11-09 – via Una mirada al Sáhara Occidental.
- ^ "The Constitution of the Sahrawi Arab Democratic Republic" (PDF). Archived (PDF) from the original on February 27, 2021.
Article 77: The National Council shall have 53 (fifty three) members.
- ^ "Elections of the Saharawi National Council on Feb 21st (official)". SPS. 22 January 2012. Archived from the original on 11 July 2015. Retrieved 15 March 2013.
- ^ "Formation of a committee to oversee elections of the Saharawi National Council (Presidential Decree)". SPS. 2012-01-16. Archived from the original on 2016-03-08. Retrieved 2013-02-17.