Islam and Elections

2004 Background Paper (Continued)


Table II 53
Algeria
Bicameral Parliament consists of National People’s Assembly, Ech-Chaabi Al-Watani (389 seats; changed from 380 seats in 2002 elections; members elected by popular vote to serve five-year terms) and Nation’s Council (144 seats; one-third of members appointed by president, two-thirds elected by indirect vote; members serve six-year terms; constitution requires half the council to be renewed every three years).
Azerbaijan
Legislative branch consists of 125-member Parliament (Milli Majlis). Members elected for 5-year terms, with 100 of them elected from territorial districts and 25 elected from party lists.
Bahrain
Bicameral Parliament consists of Shura Council (40 members appointed by the King) and House of Deputies (40 members elected by restricted vote to serve four-year terms).
Bangladesh
Unicameral National Parliament or Jatiya Sangsad; 300 seats elected by popular vote from single territorial constituencies (a constitutional amendment reserving 30 seats for women over and above the 300 regular parliament seats expired in May 2001); members serve five-year terms.
Egypt
Bicameral system consists of People’s Assembly or Majlis al-Sha’b (454 seats; 444 elected by popular vote, 10 appointed by president; members serve five-year terms) and Advisory Council or Majlis al-Shura, which functions only in consultative role (264 seats; 176 elected by popular vote, 88 appointed by president).
Indonesia
Unicameral House of Representatives or Dewan Perwakilan Rakyat (DPR) (500 seats; 462 elected by popular vote, 38 appointed military representatives; members serve five-year terms).
Iran
Unicameral Islamic Consultative Assembly or Majles-e-Shura-ye-Eslami (290 seats; note: changed from 270 seats with 18 February 2000 election; members elected by popular vote to serve four-year terms).
Jordan
Bicameral National Assembly or Majlis al-’Umma consists of Senate, also called House of Notables (Majlis al-Aayan), 40-member body appointed by monarch from designated categories of public figures; members serve four-year terms and House of Representatives, also called House of Deputies (Majlis al-Nuwaab), 80-member body elected by popular vote on basis of proportional representation to serve four-year terms.
Kuwait
Unicameral National Assembly or Majlis al-Umma (50 seats; members elected by popular vote to serve four-year terms).
Lebanon
Unicameral National Assembly or Majlis Alnuwab (Arabic) or Assemblee Nationale (French) (128 seats; members elected by popular vote on basis of sectarian proportional representation to serve four-year terms).
Libya
Unicameral General People’s Congress (members elected indirectly through hierarchy of people’s committees).
Malaysia
Bicameral Parliament or Parlimen consists of Senate or Dewan Negara (69 seats; 43 appointed by the paramount ruler, 26 appointed by the state legislatures) and House of Representatives or Dewan Rakyat (193 seats; members elected by popular vote weighted toward rural Malay population to serve five-year terms).
Mali
Unicameral National Assembly or Assemblee Nationale (147 seats; members elected by popular vote to serve five-year terms).
Morocco
Bicameral Parliament consists of upper house or Chamber of Counselors (270 seats; members elected indirectly by local councils, professional organizations, and labor syndicates for nine-year terms; one-third of the members renewed every three years) and lower house or Chamber of Representatives (325 seats; members elected by popular vote for five-year terms).
Oman
Bicameral Majlis Oman consists of upper chamber or Majlis al-Dawla (48 seats; members appointed by monarch; has advisory powers only) and lower chamber or Majlis al-Shura (83 seats; members elected by limited suffrage for three-year term, however, monarch makes final selections and can negate election results; body has some limited power to propose legislation, but otherwise has only advisory powers).
Pakistan
Bicameral Parliament or Majlis-e-Shoora consists of Senate (100 seats - formerly 87; members indirectly elected by provincial assemblies to serve six-year terms; one-third of members up for election every two years) and National Assembly (342 seats - formerly 217; 10 seats represent minorities; members elected by popular vote to serve five-year terms).
Senegal
Unicameral National Assembly or Assemblee Nationale (120 seats; members elected by direct, popular vote to serve five-year terms).
Sudan
Unicameral National Assembly (360 seats; 270 popularly elected, 90 elected by supra assembly of interest groups known as National Congress; members serve four-year terms).
Syria
Unicameral People’s Council or Majlis al-shaab (250 seats; members elected by popular vote to serve four-year terms).
Tajikistan
Bicameral Supreme Assembly or Majlisi Oli consists of Assembly of Representatives (lower chamber) or Majlisi Namoyandagon (63 seats; members elected by popular vote to serve five-year terms) and National Assembly (upper chamber) or Majlisi Milliy (33 seats; members indirectly elected, 25 selected by local deputies, 8 appointed by president; all serve five-year terms).
Tunisia
Unicameral Chamber of Deputies or Majlis al-Nuwaab (182 seats; members elected by popular vote to serve five-year terms).
Turkey
Unicameral Grand National Assembly of Turkey or Turkiye Buyuk Millet Meclisi (550 seats; members elected by popular vote to serve five-year terms).
Uzbekistan
Unicameral Supreme Assembly or Oliy Majlis (250 seats; members elected by popular vote to serve five-year terms); note—2002 amendment to the constitution creates second chamber to be established via elections in 2004.
Yemen
Bicameral legislature consisting of Shura Council (111 seats; members appointed by the president) and House of Representatives (301 seats; members elected by popular vote to serve six-year terms)

Ten of these twenty-four elected legislatures are bicameral. In each case, members of the upper chamber are either appointed, for instance by the president or monarch, or indirectly chosen. In Oman, neither house of the legislature has significant legislative power. In Syria, the Ba‘ath Party has a guaranteed majority in the unicameral legislature. Direct election of representatives to the legislature is, evidently, not yet a dominant form in the Muslim world. Bans on political parties in general (i.e. in Kuwait and Iran) and on religious political parties in particular (i.e. in Turkey, Algeria, and Tunisia) further limit elections.

Thus even though elections are constitutionally authorized in most Muslim countries, voters seldom exercise complete freedom in choosing representatives. In addition, in many countries, such as Turkey, Iran, Pakistan, Syria, and the various monarchies, more or less constitutionally formalized institutions have the power to override the actions of elected governments.

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