Country: Afghanistan Official Name: Islamic Republic of Afghanistan Election Type: Parliamentary Date: September 18, 2005 Source for election date

At stake in this election:

• 249 seats in the House of Elders (Meshrano Jirga)

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.

Main parties in the electoral race:

• Party: Youth Solidarity Party of Afghanistan / Hezb-e-Hambastagee Mili Jawanan-e-Afghanistan
  Leader: Mohammad Jamil KARZAI
  Seats won in last House of Elders election: N/A
• Party: Afghan Nation / Hezb-e-Afghan Melat
  Leader: Anwarul Haq AHADI
  Seats won in last House of Elders election: N/A
• Party: National Congress Party of Afghanistan / Hezb-e-Kangra-e-Mili-e-Afghanistan
  Leader: Abdul Latif PEDRAM
  Seats won in last House of Elders election: N/A
• Party: Islamic Unity Party of Afghanistan / Hezb-e-Wahdat-e-Islami-e-Afghanistan
  Leader: Mohammad Karim KHALILI
  Seats won in last House of Elders election: N/A
• Party: Islamic Unity Party of the People of Afghanistan / Hezb-e-Wahdat-e-Islami Mardom-e-Afghanistan
  Leader: Haji Mohammad MUHAQEQ
  Seats won in last House of Elders election: N/A
• Party: National Movement of Afghanistan / Nahzat-e-Mili Afghanistan
  Leader: Ahmad Wali MASSOUD
  Seats won in last House of Elders election: N/A
• Party: National Islamic Movement of Afghanistan / Hezb-e-Junbish Mili Islami-e-Afghanistan
  Leader: Sayed NOORULLAH
  Seats won in last House of Elders election: N/A
• Party: National Islamic Front of Afghanistan / Hezb-e-Mahaz-e-Mili Islami-e-Afghanistan
  Leader: Peer Sayed Ahmad GAILANEE
  Seats won in last House of Elders election: N/A
• Party: Islamic People's Movement of Afghanistan / Hezb-e-Harakat-e-Islami Mardom-e-Afghanistan
  Leader: Ilhaj Sayed Hussin ANWARY
  Seats won in last House of Elders election: 0
• Party: Party of the Islamic Society of Afghanistan / Hezb-e-Jamihat-e-Islami-e-Afghanistan
  Leader: Ustad RABANEE
  Seats won in last House of Elders election: N/A
• Party: Afghanistan's Islamic Mission Organization / Tanzim Dawat-e-Islami-e-Afghanistan
  Leader: Abdul Rab Rasoul SAYAF
  Seats won in last House of Elders election: N/A
• Party: Afghanistan Party / Hezb-e-Afghanistan-e-Naween)
  Leader: Mohammad Younus QANONI
  Seats won in last House of Elders election: N/A

Last Parliamentary election:

• This is the first time Afghanistan held parliamentary elections since the establishment of the transitional government.

Population and number of registered voters:

• Population: 29,928,987 (July 2005 est.)
• Registered Voters: 12,500,000 (September 2005 est.)

Last Updated on 08/03/2010

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