IFES Election Guide - Country Profile: Afghanistan

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Presidential (Tentative)
April 5, 2014
Presidential
2014
Parliamentary
2015

Afghanistan
Islamic Republic of Afghanistan
Region: Asia & Pacific

Description of government structure:

Chief of State: President Hamid KARZAI *
Head of Government: President Hamid KARZAI
Assembly: Afghanistan has a bicameral National Assembly (Jirga) consisting of the House of Elders (Meshrano Jirga) with 102 seats and the House of People (Wolesi Jirga) with 249 seats.

* The president is both chief of state and head of government.

Description of electoral system:

The President is elected by absolute majority vote through a two-round system to serve a 5-year term.
In the House of Elders (Meshrano Jirga), 34 members are elected by regional legislatures to serve 4-year terms, 34 members are elected by regional legislatures to serve 3-year terms and 34 members are appointed by the President to serve 5-year terms*. In the House of People (Wolesi Jirga) 249 members are elected by single non-transferable vote to serve 5-year terms.**

* Each Provincial Council elects one of its members to the House of Elders under a two-round system. (4-year term.) Each District Council elects one of its members to the House of Elders under a two-round system. (3-year term.) Due to the fact that district boundaries had not yet been established, District Councils did not elect members to the House of Elders in 2005. To compensate, provincial councils each elected two members.

** There are 34 multi-member districts corresponding to the 34 provinces. Seats are allocated in proportion to provincial population. District magnitudes range from 2 to 33. The constitution reserves 68 seats to women. However, even if a female candidate receives enough votes to win a seat without the quota system, she is still awarded a reserve seat.