AZE.US
A debate has emerged in Azerbaijan over whether the number of members of parliament should be increased to reflect demographic changes over the past three decades.
Under Article 82 of the Constitution, the Milli Majlis consists of 125 deputies. When the Constitution was adopted in 1995, Azerbaijan’s population stood at approximately 7 million. Today, it exceeds 10 million, according to official figures.
As a result, the average number of voters per electoral district has risen significantly. In the mid-1990s, one deputy represented roughly 37,000-40,000 voters. Currently, that figure is closer to 50,000-55,000 in many districts.
Chingiz Ganizade, chairman of the Committee on Democracy and Human Rights and a legal scholar, said in comments to local media that the number of deputies is directly fixed in the Constitution and would require a constitutional amendment to change. He argued that demographic growth has altered the original balance of representation and that revisiting the provision may be necessary.
Supporters of the idea note that, compared to population size, Azerbaijan has one of the lower ratios of parliamentary representation in the region. In several European countries with populations above 10 million, national legislatures typically have between 150 and 200 members.
At this stage, no formal legislative initiative has been introduced, and no official proposal has been submitted to amend the Constitution. Any change would require adherence to established constitutional procedures.
The discussion, however, signals broader questions about institutional reform and political representation as Azerbaijan’s population and administrative landscape continue to evolve.