page_title: National Assembly (Azerbaijan)
section_title: Azerbaijan Democratic Republic (1918–1920)
hierarchical_section_title: National Assembly (Azerbaijan) / History / Azerbaijan Democratic Republic (1918–1920)
context_page_description: The National Assembly, also transliterated as Milli Majlis, is the legislative branch of government in Azerbaijan. The unicameral National Assembly has 125 deputies: previously 100 members were elected for five-year terms in single-seat constituencies and 25 were members elected by proportional representation; as of the latest election, however, all 125 deputies are returned from single-member constituencies. Milli Majlis was the first secular republican parliament in the Muslim world.
context_section_description: Following the Russian Revolution in February 1917, a special committee consisting of deputies from Transcaucasian State Duma was created. In November, Transcaucasian Commissariat was created as the first government of independent Transcaucasia. The Sejm made up from representatives of three nations did not have a solid political platform as each nation looked after its own interests. This subsequently led to dissolution of the Sejm on May 25, 1918.
  On May 27, 44 Muslim deputies of the Sejm gathered in Tbilisi and established Azerbaijan National Council to form the government of Azerbaijan. Mammad Emin Rasulzade was elected its chairman. On May 28, the National Council passed a resolution proclaiming independence of Azerbaijan Democratic Republic. On June 16, the National Council and the Azerbaijani government moved to Ganja. At the seventh session of the council in Ganja chaired by Mammad Emin Rasulzade, it was decided to dissolve the council and transfer all legislative and executive power to the interim government of Azerbaijan headed by Fatali Khan Khoyski. Once the government was established, Azerbaijani was made the official state language. One of the priorities of the government before moving to Baku was to liberate Baku from Centrocaspian Dictatorship then in control of the city which took place on September 15, 1918. On November 16 when the National Council reconvenes and on November 19, Rasulzade announces that all nationalities of Azerbaijan will be represented in the Azerbaijani Parliament to consist of 120 deputies.
  Therefore, basing on 24 thousand representatives of nationalities of Azerbaijan, Azerbaijani parliament made up from 80 Muslims, 21 Armenians, 10 Russians, 1 German and 1 Jew was established on November 29 and convened on December 7, 1918. Thus, the first session of the parliament took place in the building of former Zeynalabdin Tagiyev Russian Muslim School located on present day Istiglaliyyat Street of Baku and was chaired by Rasulzade. Alimardan Topchubashov was elected the Speaker of the Parliament, Hasanbey Agayev - Deputy Speaker.
  By the end of 1919, there were 11 various political party factions in the parliament represented by 96 deputies. During its 17-month existence, the parliament held 145 sessions with the last session being convened on April 27, 1920 on the eve of Russian occupation of Azerbaijan. A total of 270 resolutions were sponsored, 230 of which were passed. Parliamentary delegations of Azerbaijan signed several friendship treaties with Turkey, Iran, Great Britain, and US and a defense pact with Georgia; attended Paris Peace Conference several times requesting recognition from Western countries. In January 1920, Azerbaijan Democratic Republic was de facto recognized by the Peace Conference.
caption: Parliament in 1918 
     Musavat: 40 seats   Ittihad: 14 seats   Ahrar: 8 seats   Socialist: 14 seats   Unaffiliated: 4 seats   Independent: 4 seats   Left independent: 1 seat   Slavic alliance: 5 seats   Ethnic Minorities: 7 seats   Armenian fraction: 5 seats   Dashnaksutyun: 7 seats