National Assembly (Azerbaijan) facts for kids

Quick facts for kids National Assembly of the Republic of Azerbaijan Azərbaycan Respublikasının Milli Məclisi
7th convocation
Logo of the National Assembly
Type
Type	Unicameral
History
Founded	12 November 1995
Preceded by	Supreme Soviet (Ali Sovet) of the Republic of Azerbaijan
Leadership
Speaker	Sahiba Gafarova, YAP Since 10 March 2020
First Deputy Speaker	Ali Huseynli, YAP Since 10 March 2020
Deputy Speaker	Fazail Ibrahimli, VHP Since 10 March 2020
Deputy Speaker	Adil Aliyev, Independent Since 10 March 2020
Structure
Seats	Total 125 deputies
Political groups	Government (68)      New Azerbaijan (68) Other parties (13)      Civic Solidarity (3)      Justice, Law, Democracy (2)      Republican Alternative (1)      Democratic Enlightenment (1)      Motherland (1)      Democratic Reforms (1)      Great Order (1)      AMİP (1)      BAP (1)      National Front (1) Independents (44)      Independents (44)
Length of term	5 years
Elections
Voting system	First-past-the-post voting
Last election	1 September 2024
Next election	2028
Meeting place
Building of the National Assembly
Chamber of the National Assembly
Website
meclis.gov.az

The National Assembly (called Milli Məclis in Azerbaijani) is like the main law-making body in Azerbaijan. It's a unicameral parliament, meaning it has one main group of lawmakers. There are 125 members, called deputies, who are chosen by the people to serve for five years. These deputies work together to create and approve laws for the country. The President of Azerbaijan, Ilham Aliyev, also plays a very important role in how the government works. In 2016, some changes were made to the country's rules, allowing the president to end a parliament's term early if needed.

A Look Back: The History of Azerbaijan's Parliament

The First Parliament: Azerbaijan Democratic Republic (1918–1920)

First meeting of the Azerbaijani Parliament

Parliament in 1918
     Musavat and Independents: 40 seats      Ittihad: 14 seats      Ahrar: 8 seats      Socialists: 14 seats      Independents: 4 seats      Unaffiliated: 4 seats      Left independent: 1 seat      Slavic alliance: 5 seats      Ethnic minorities: 7 seats      Armenian fraction: 5 seats      Dashnaksutyun: 7 seats      Vacant: 11 seats

After big changes in Russia in 1917, a special group was formed to represent the region of Transcaucasia. Later, in May 1918, 44 Muslim representatives met and created the Azerbaijan National Council. On May 28, 1918, this council declared the independence of the Azerbaijan Democratic Republic. This was a very important moment for the country!

The National Council and the new government moved to Ganja. They made Azerbaijani the official language. On December 7, 1918, the first parliament of Azerbaijan was officially opened. It met in a historic building in Baku. This parliament was special because it included representatives from many different groups living in Azerbaijan. Alimardan Topchubashov was chosen as the Speaker, like the leader of the parliament.

During its short time, this parliament held many meetings and passed over 200 laws. It also worked to build friendships with other countries like Turkey, Iran, and Great Britain. In January 1920, many countries recognized Azerbaijan as an independent nation.

Parliament During the Soviet Era

In April 1920, the government of Azerbaijan changed. A new system, called the Azerbaijan Interim Revolutionary Committee, was set up by communist leaders. They made many changes, like taking control of private businesses.

In May 1921, new representatives from all over Azerbaijan met in Baku. This group formed the Azerbaijan Central Executive Committee. Over the years, this system evolved, and in 1937, a new set of rules (the Azerbaijan SSR Constitution) was approved. This led to the creation of the Supreme Soviet of the Azerbaijan SSR.

The first elections for the Supreme Soviet happened in 1938. Many different people became deputies, including workers, farmers, and civil servants. About 72 of the deputies were women, which was notable for the time. During this period, many decisions for Azerbaijan were made by the main government in Moscow.

Later, in the 1970s and 1980s, the Supreme Soviet in Azerbaijan became more active. It passed new laws and updated the country's constitution in 1977. There were some disagreements about regions, and the parliament had a role in discussing these. Finally, on October 18, 1991, the Supreme Soviet made a very important decision: it declared that Azerbaijan was once again an independent country!

Azerbaijan's Parliament Today

The building of the National Assembly of Azerbaijan

First session of the National Assembly in 1918

The first elections for Azerbaijan's modern parliament happened in 1990, even before the country officially became independent again. The 1995 election was the first one held after Azerbaijan regained its independence.

Today, the National Assembly is led by a Speaker. The current Speaker is Sahiba Gafarova. She is helped by a First Deputy Speaker, Ali Huseynli, and two other Deputy Speakers, Fazail Ibrahimli and Adil Aliyev. A team of people also works behind the scenes to help the parliament run smoothly every day.

In the 2010 parliamentary elections, the main political group, the New Azerbaijan Party, won many seats. In the 2015 elections, they also won a large number of seats. The parliament has different groups, called committees, that focus on specific topics. These committees help study and prepare new laws.

• Some committees deal with legal matters and how the government is structured.
• Others focus on defense and safety for the country.
• There are committees for economic plans, natural resources, and the environment.
• Other groups work on farming, social issues, and regional topics.
• Important areas like science, education, culture, and health also have their own committees.
• There are also committees for youth, sports, family, women, and children's issues.
• Finally, some committees handle relationships with other countries and human rights.

The parliament also has special groups that work with parliaments in over 80 other countries. This helps Azerbaijan build friendships and work together with nations around the world. The parliament even has its own newspaper, called Azərbaycan qəzeti, which shares news about its work.

Leaders of Azerbaijan's Parliament

Speaker of the National Assembly of Azerbaijan Murtuz Alasgarov meeting Russian President Vladimir Putin in 2001.

• Elmira Gafarova 5 February 1991 – 5 March 1992.
• Yagub Mammadov 5 March 1992 – 18 May 1992
• Isa Gambar 18 May 1992 – 13 June 1993
• Heydar Aliyev 24 June 1993 – 5 November 1993
• Rasul Guliyev 5 November 1993 – 11 September 1996
• Murtuz Alasgarov 16 October 1996 – 2 December 2005
• Ogtay Asadov 2 December 2005– 10 March 2020
• Sahiba Gafarova 10 March 2020–today

See also

In Spanish: Asamblea Nacional de la República de Azerbaiyán para niños

• Politics of Azerbaijan
• Government of Azerbaijan
• Cabinet of Azerbaijan
• Azerbaijani parliamentary election, 2010
• List of legislatures by country
• List of political parties in Azerbaijan
• Constitution of Azerbaijan