PUBLIC AFFAIRS SECTION

Press Release

31 January 2006
Afghanistan National Assembly

The Afghan National Assembly is Afghanistan’s first elected legislature since 1969.

• Support for Afghanistan’s democratic reconstruction has been an important investment in the country’s future. Afghans want peace and stability, but have also repeatedly demonstrated a desire for democracy and self-governance that has won the support and respect of the international community. In the election for the National Assembly, voter turnout was substantial (53% of the country’s 12.5 million registered voters – about 43% of whom were women).
• The United States contributed $40 million toward the September 2005 National Assembly election costs and $20 million for voter education and other election support. U.S. forces contributed to election security. The U.S. and other international donors sponsored training sessions on legislative duties and functions for members of the National Assembly and their professional staff. U.S. Vice President Dick Cheney attended the National Assembly’s historic inauguration on December 19, 2005.  
• The 102-member Upper House ("Meshrano Jirga") has 68 members selected by 34 directly elected Provincial Councils, and 34 members appointed by President Karzai.  Karzai’s 34 appointments were vetted by an independent, UN-supported election board and included 17 women, as required by the Constitution. Former Afghan President Mojadeddi was appointed President of the Upper House. 
• The 249-member Lower House ("Wolesi Jirga") was directly elected.  Sixty-eight women were elected to the Lower House, 51 of them to seats reserved for women under the 2004 Constitution.  The National Assembly’s ethnic composition roughly corresponds to Afghanistan’s population (45 percent Pashtun; 25 percent Hazara; 19 percent Tajik; 8 percent Uzbek; 3 percent Other, including Kuchi). Members of the Lower House elected Younis Qanooni as their Speaker.

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