Sahrawi National Council
Legislature
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
The Sahrawi National Council (SNC; Arabic: المجلس الوطني الصحراوي, romanized: al-Majlis al-Waṭanī aṣ-Ṣaḥrāwī, Spanish: Consejo Nacional Saharaui) 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.
Sahrawi National Council المجلس الوطني الصحراوي Consejo Nacional Saharaui | |
|---|---|
| 12th Period | |
| |
| Type | |
| Type | |
| History | |
| Founded | 1976 |
| Preceded by | Djema'a |
| Leadership | |
President | |
Secretary-General | Saleh Ibrahim Saleh, Polisario Front since 28 March 2026 |
| Structure | |
| Seats | 51 members |
 | |
Political groups | Government Polisario Front (51) |
| Committees | Six[1]
|
| Elections | |
| Single non-transferable vote | |
Last election | 8–9 April 2023 |
| Meeting place | |
| Sahrawi refugee camps or Tifariti | |
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,[2] elected every two years (since the XIII POLISARIO Congress[3]) 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).[4] 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 abolishment of 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:
| Name | Image | Took office | Left office | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Mohamed Ould Ziou | 28 November 1975 | August 1976 | [5] |
Below is a list of presidents of the Sahrawi National Council:
| Name | Image | Took office | Left office | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sidi Ahmed Ould Mohamed Mahmoud | August 1976 | September 1978 | [6][7] | |
| El-Kenti Ould Jouda | September 1978 | 1984 | [8] | |
| Hamoudi Ould Ahmed Baba | ? – 1985 | 1986 | [9] | |
| Mohamed Ould Mubarek Ould Rahal | 1986 | 1987 – ? | [10][11] | |
| Mohamed Lamine Ould Ahmed |  |
? | ? | |
| Abdelkader Taleb Omar |  |
1995 | 1999 | [12][13] |
| Salem Lebsir | 20 October 1999 | 2003 | [14][15] | |
| Mahfoud Ali Beiba | 2003 | 2 July 2010 | [16] | |
| Mbarek Lehdeib | 2 July 2010 | 10 July 2010 | Acting | |
| Khatri Addouh | .JPG) |
10 July 2010 | 16 March 2020 | [17] |
| Hamma Salama | 16 March 2020 | 28 March 2026 | [18] | |
| Bashir Mustafa Sayed | 28 March 2026 | Present | [19] |
| Party | Seats |
|---|---|
| Popular Front for the Liberation of Saguia el-Hamra and Río de Oro | 53 |
| Total | 53 |
International membership
The Sahrawi National Council is a member of the Pan-African Parliament.[20] Since 14 October 2011, the SNC is a permanent observer member of the Andean Parliament.[21]