National Assembly (Guinea) Explained

National Assembly
Native Name:Assemblée nationale
Coa Pic:Coat of Arms of Guinea.svg
Coa Res:150px
Leader1 Type:President
Leader1:Dansa Kurouma
Election1:5 February 2022
Leader2 Type:Vice-President
Leader2:Maimouna Youmbouno
Election2:5 February 2022
Leader3 Type:Vice-President
Leader3:Seny Sylla
Election3:5 February 2022
Structure1 Res:200px
Structure1 Alt:Distribution of seats in the Parliament for each party
Members:81
Session Room:Conakry-palaisdupeuple.JPG
Session Res:250px
Website:www.assemblee.gov.gn

The unicameral Assemblée nationale or National Assembly is Guinea's legislative body. Since the country's birth in 1958, it has experienced political turmoil, and elections have been called at irregular intervals, and only since 1995 have they been more than approval of a one-party state's slate of candidates. The number of seats has also fluctuated.

It is currently suspended, with the National Council of the Transition acting as Guinea's legislative body in the wake of the 2021 Guinean coup d'état.

Organisation

See also: List of presidents of the National Assembly of Guinea. Two thirds of the members (76), called députés, are directly elected through a system of proportional representation, using national party-lists, while one third (38) are elected from single-member constituencies, using the simple majority (or first-past-the-post) system. Members must be over 25 years old and serve five-year terms.[1]

The President of the National Assembly of Guinea is the presiding officer of the legislature. Claude Kory Kondiano has been President of the National Assembly since January 2014.[2] [3]

The Assembly is made up of 12 commissions:[1]

  1. Commission of accountancy and control
  2. Commission of delegations
  3. Economic, financial and planning commission
  4. Foreign Affairs Commission
  5. Commission for legislation, internal rules of the Assembly, the general administration and justice
  6. Commission of defense and security
  7. Commission of natural resources and sustainable development
  8. Commission of industries, mines, commerce and handcraft
  9. Commission of territorial arrangement
  10. Commission of civil service
  11. Commission of youth, arts, tourism and culture
  12. Commission of information and communication

On 5 February 2022, five months after a military coup which saw the National Assembly briefly dissolved, a transitional parliament chaired by former lawmaker Dansa Kurouma with 81 members was established.[4] The new parliament exists in the form of a National Transitional Council (CNT).

Duties and responsibilities

The Assembly is responsible for ordinary laws and the government's budget.[1]

It ordinarily meets in two annual sessions, beginning 5 April and 5 October (or the next working day if a holiday) and lasting no more than 90 days. Special sessions can be called by either the President of Guinea or a majority of the Assembly members.[1]

Building

The National Assembly has its headquarters in the Palais du Peuple (People's Palace),[5] which was built with Chinese assistance.[6]

Elections

1963

See main article: 1963 Guinean legislative election. Guinea was a one-party state, so the sole legal party, the Democratic Party of Guinea – African Democratic Rally, won all seats in the Assembly.[7]

1968

See main article: 1968 Guinean general election. The Democratic Party of Guinea – African Democratic Rally once again secured all of the then-75 seats,[8] and Ahmed Sékou Touré retained the presidency.[9]

1974

See main article: 1974 Guinean general election. With no other parties legally allowed, the Democratic Party of Guinea – African Democratic Rally took all now-150 seats, and Touré was reelected president unopposed.[10] Members were elected for seven-year terms.[10]

1980

See main article: 1980 Guinean legislative election. The Democratic Party of Guinea – African Democratic Rally secured all now-210 seats as the only party, with Touré retaining the presidency.[11]

1995

See main article: 1995 Guinean legislative election. The first election in which multiple parties were permitted was boycotted by one of the main opposition parties, the Union of Democratic Forces, but 846 candidates from 21 parties contested the 114 seats.[12] The Unity and Progress Party led the way with 71 seats, 41 proportionally and 30 by constituency, and its leader, General Lansana Conté, head of the country since a 1984 military coup d'état, became the second president.[12]

2002

See main article: 2002 Guinean legislative election. The election was originally scheduled for April 2000, as the five-year terms of office expired, but was postponed four times for various reasons.[13] The 30 June 2002 election was won by President Conté's Unity and Progress Party, with 61.57% of the vote and 85 of the 114 seats.[13]

2013

See main article: 2013 Guinean legislative election. Elections were held on 28 September 2013. Alpha Condé's party, the Rally of the Guinean People, won the most seats, 53, but fell short of a majority.

2020

See main article: 2020 Guinean legislative election. Elections were held on 22 March 2020. Alpha Condé's party, the Rally of the Guinean People, won 79 of the 114 seats, which is a supermajority.

See also

Notes and References

  1. Web site: Update: Guinean Legal System and Research . Ibrahima Sidibe . Hauser Global Law School Program, New York University School of Law.
  2. Web site: Guinea: Assemblée nationale (National Assembly) . Inter-Parliamentary Union.
  3. http://www.rfi.fr/afrique/20140113-guinee-claude-kory-kondiano-nouveau-president-parlement "Guinée: Claude Kory Kondiano, nouveau président du Parlement"
  4. News: Guinea forms transitional parliament five months after coup. German Press Agency (DPA). Daily Sabah. 5 February 2022. 5 February 2022.
  5. Book: Dying for Change: Brutality and Repression by Guinean Security Forces in Response to a Nationwide Strike. 2007. Human Rights Watch. 17.
  6. Book: Shinn. David H.. Eisenman. Joshua. China and Africa: A Century of Engagement. 10 July 2012. University of Pennsylvania Press. 9780812208009. 286.
  7. Book: Nohlen . D. . Krennerich . M. . Thibaut . B. . 1999 . Elections in Africa: A data handbook . limited . 454 . Oxford University Press . 0198296452.
  8. Web site: Date of Elections: January 1, 1968 . Inter-Parliamentary Union (PARLINE database of national parliaments).
  9. Web site: 14. Guinea (1958-present) . Dynamic Analysis of Dispute Management (DADM) Project, University of Central Arkansas.
  10. Web site: Date of Elections: December 27, 1974 . Inter-Parliamentary Union (PARLINE database of national parliaments).
  11. Web site: Date of Elections: 27 January 1980 . Inter-Parliamentary Union (PARLINE database of national parliaments).
  12. Web site: Elections Held in 1995 . Inter-Parliamentary Union (PARLINE database of national parliaments).
  13. Web site: Elections in 2002 election . Inter-Parliamentary Union (PARLINE database of national parliaments).