Sahrawi National Council

The Sahrawi National Council (SNC; , ) is the legislature of the Sahrawi Arab Democratic Republic. Its structure and competences are guided by the Constitution of the Sahrawi Arab Democratic Republic (SADR). The present speaker since 2026 is Bashir Mustafa Sayed.

It was first created by Polisario Front members and Sahrawi tribal notables as the Provisionary National Council in April or November 1975, after the proclamation of Guelta Zemmur. On 27 February 1976, POLISARIO leader El-Ouali Mustapha Sayed announced that the Council had declared the creation of the Sahrawi Arab Democratic Republic, of which it became the first parliament. On the POLISARIO's III General Popular Congress (26–30 August 1976), a newly elected membership was formally installed as the Sahrawi National Council.

The SNC is a unicameral body, with 53 seats, elected every two years (since the XIII POLISARIO Congress) at the General Popular Congresses by delegates from the Sahrawi refugee camps at Tindouf province, Algeria, supplemented by representatives of the Sahrawi People's Liberation Army and the civil society organizations (UJSARIO, UNMS, UGTSARIO). In the last election (2012), 35% of the parliamentarians were women. It usually convenes in Tifariti, at the Liberated Territories of Western Sahara, but on occasion also in the refugee camps.

Among the reforms enacted by the SNC is the abolition of the death penalty. In 1999, the SNC caused the fall of then Prime Ministers Mahfoud Ali Beiba government through a motion of no-confidence. The powers of the SNC were substantially expanded in the 1991 constitutional reforms of the SADR, and has since been further enhanced.

List of presidents of the Sahrawi National Council Below is a list of presidents of the Sahrawi Provisional National Council:

NameImageTook officeLeft officeNotes Mohamed Ould Ziou28 November 1975August 1976

Below is a list of presidents of the Sahrawi National Council:

NameImageTook officeLeft officeNotesSidi Ahmed Ould Mohamed Mahmoud August 1976September 1978El-Kenti Ould JoudaSeptember 19781984Hamoudi Ould Ahmed Baba? – 19851986Mohamed Ould Mubarek Ould Rahal19861987 – ?Mohamed Lamine Ould Ahmed??Abdelkader Taleb Omar19951999Salem Lebsir20 October 19992003Mahfoud Ali Beiba20032 July 2010Mbarek Lehdeib2 July 201010 July 2010ActingKhatri Addouh10 July 201016 March 2020Hamma Salama16 March 202028 March 2026Bashir Mustafa Sayed28 March 2026Present

International membership The Sahrawi National Council is a member of the Pan-African Parliament.Pan-African Parliament Members Pan-African Parliament Since 14 October 2011, the SNC is a permanent observer member of the Andean Parliament.

References

See also Politics of the Sahrawi Arab Democratic Republic List of legislatures by country

Sahrawi National Council

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