Parliament of Namibia

{{Short description|National legislature of Namibia}}

{{Infobox legislature

| background_color = #F0001C

| name = Parliament of Namibia

| native_name =

| native_name_lang =

| transcription_name =

| legislature =

| coa_pic = File:Namibian Parliament Logo.jpg

| coa_res = 250px

| coa_alt =

| foundation =

| house_type = Bicameral

| body =

| houses = National Council
National Assembly

| leader1_type = Chairperson of the National Council

| leader1 = Lukas Sinimbo Muha

| party1 = SWAPO

| election1 = 15 December 2020

| leader2_type = Speaker of the National Assembly

| leader2 = Saara Kuugongelwa

| party2 = SWAPO

| election2 = 21 March 2025

| leader3_type =

| leader3 =

| party3 =

| election3 =

| members = 146
National Council (42)
National Assembly (104)

| house1 = National Council

| house2 = National Assembly

| structure1 = Seating_of_the_National_Council_of_Namibia.svg

| structure1_res = 250px

| structure2 = Seating of the National Assembly of Namibia, 2024.svg

| structure2_res = 250px

| political_groups1 = Government (28) {{legend|#F0001C|SWAPO (28)}}Official opposition (6) {{legend|#FC7B2C|LPM (6)}}Other parties (8) {{legend|#000080|PDM (2)}} {{legend|#DEAA87|IPC (2)}} {{legend|#008000|UDF (2)}} {{legend|#0B4000|NUDO (1)}} {{legend|#FFFF00|Independent (1)}}

| political_groups2 = Government (59) {{legend|#F0001C|SWAPO (51)}} {{legend|#5A6479|Appointed members (8)}}Official opposition (20) {{legend|#B06E02|IPC (20)}} Other parties (25) {{legend|#ed1b24|AR (7)}} {{legend|#0066CC|PDM (5)}} {{legend|#FC7B2C|LPM (5)}} {{legend|#314BB2|UDF (1)}} {{legend|#FF0000|NEFF (1)}} {{legend|#003580|SWANU (1)}} {{legend|#FFF100|RP (1)}} {{legend|#0B4000|NUDO (1)}} {{legend|#D84F23|APP (1)}} {{legend|#14A016|NDP (1)}} {{legend|#7C64FC|BCP (1)}}

| committees1 =

| committees2 =

| joint_committees =

| voting_system1 = Indirect election by regional councils

| voting_system2 = Closed list proportional representation and appointments by the President

| last_election1 = 25 November 2020

| last_election2 = 27-30 November 2024

| previous_election1 =

| previous_election2 =

| session_room = Windhuk Independence Memorial Museum Blick auf den Tintenpalast 6.jpg

| session_res = 250px

| session_alt =

| meeting_place = Tintenpalast, Windhoek, Khomas Region, Namibia

| website = {{URL|http://www.parliament.na/}}

| footnotes =

| motto =

}}

{{Politics of Namibia}}

The Parliament of Namibia is the national legislature of Namibia. It is a bicameral legislature and, thus, consists of two houses:{{cite web | url = http://209.88.21.36/opencms/opencms/grnnet/GRNOverview/grnStructure/legislative.html | title = GRN Structure. The Legislature | publisher = Government of Namibia |access-date = 29 September 2011 | url-status = dead | archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20110818165115/http://209.88.21.36/opencms/opencms/grnnet/GRNOverview/grnStructure/legislative.html | archive-date = 18 August 2011}}{{Cite journal | title=Women and political participation in Namibia and Nigeria: a comparative analysis of women in elective positions | first1=Maryam Omolara| last1=Quadri | first2=Erika K | last2=Thomas | journal=Journal for Studies in Humanities and Social Sciences | publisher=University of Namibia | volume=7 | issue=2 | date=2018 | issn=2026-7215 | pages=6–9 | url=http://repository.unam.edu.na/bitstream/handle/11070/2426/quadri_women_2018.pdf}} the National Council (upper house) and the National Assembly (lower house).

All cabinet members are also members of the lower house. This situation has been criticised by Namibia's civil society and the opposition as creating a significant overlap between executive and legislature, undermining the separation of powers. The seniority of cabinet members generally relegate ordinary MPs to the back benches.{{cite news

|url = http://www.namibian.com.na/news-articles/national/full-story/archive/2013/march/article/mbumbas-presence-in-cabinet-under-spotlight/

|title = Mbumba's presence in Cabinet under spotlight

|last = Sasman

|first = Catherine

|date = 22 March 2013

|work = The Namibian

|url-status = dead

|archive-url = https://archive.today/20130413164211/http://www.namibian.com.na/news-articles/national/full-story/archive/2013/march/article/mbumbas-presence-in-cabinet-under-spotlight/

|archive-date = 13 April 2013

}}

From Namibian independence until 2014 the National Assembly consisted of 78 members, 72 members elected by proportional representation and 6 members appointed by the president. The National Council had 26 representatives of the Regional Councils, 2 from each of the then thirteen regions. Prior to the 2014 general elections the constitution was amended to increase both chambers to their current size.