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PRESIDENCY OF THE PARLIAMENT |
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| Chamber: | |||||
| Senado | |||||
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| Title: | |||||
| President of the Senate | |||||
| Term: | |||||
| - duration: 4 years (term of House) - reasons for interruption of the term: resignation, death, dissolution of the Senate |
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| Appointment: | |||||
| - elected by all Senators at the first sitting of the newly elected Senate on 27/3/1996 - before validation of mandates and swearing-in |
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| Eligibility: | |||||
| - any Senator may be a candidate, but formal notification of candidature is required | |||||
| Voting system: | |||||
| - formal vote by secret ballot - absolute majority required in the first round, in the second round only the 2 candidates with the most votes are left, and election is by a majority of votes cast |
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| Procedures / results: | |||||
| - the Seniority Board and the oldest Senator presides over the Senate during the voting - the secretaries of the Seniority Board assisted by the parliamentary advisors supervise the voting - a secretary announces the results without delay - the results cannot be challenged |
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STATUS |
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| Status: | |||||
| - ranks fourth in the hierarchy of the State - ranks after the President of the Congress of Deputies in the order of precedence - represents the Senate with the authorities - represents the Senate in international bodies - presides ex officio over the Board, the Conferences of Spokesmen and the Standing Deputation - may, if he or she so wishes, preside over any committee - in the absence of the President, one of the Vice-Presidents can assume his/her role and functions |
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| Board: | |||||
| - is regulated by the Standing Orders of the Senate - consists of the President, two Vice-Presidents and 4 secretaries - members serve a four-year term - meets weekly at the President's initiative - constitutes a true collegial presidency |
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| Material facilities: | |||||
| - allowance - official residence - official car - additional staff - secretariat - bodyguards |
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FUNCTIONS |
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| Organization of parliamentary business: | |||||
| - convenes sessions - establishes and modifies the agenda, together with the Board - organizes the debates and sets speaking time The Board: - examines the admissibility of bills and amendments |
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| Chairing of public sittings: | |||||
| - can open, adjourn and close sittings - ensures respect for provisions of the Constitution and Standing Orders - makes announcements concerning the Senate - takes disciplinary measures in the event of disturbance, and lifts such measures - establishes the list of speakers, gives and withdraws permission to speak - establishes the order in which amendments are taken up and selects which amendments are to be debated - calls for a vote, decides how it is to be carried out, verifies the voting procedure and cancels a vote in the event of irregularities - checks the quorum only at the request of a parliamentary group or 10 Senators - authenticates the texts adopted and the records of debates - interprets the rules or other regulations governing the life of the Senate - has discretionary power to give the floor outside the agenda and thus organizes impromptu debates |
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| Special powers: | |||||
| The Board: - establishes the budget of the Senate under the guidance of the President - recruits, assigns and promotes staff, in agreement with the President - appoints the Clerk, on a proposal by the President - organizes the services of the Senate - is responsible for relations with foreign Parliaments - is responsible for safety, and in this capacity, can call the police in the event of disturbance in the Senate |
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| Speaking and voting rights, other functions: | |||||
| - may take the floor in legislative debates by leaving his seat - provides guidelines for the interpretation or completion of the text under discussion - takes part in voting - may intervene in the parliamentary oversight procedure, but has never done so |
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Choose one of the thematic modules below for further information grouped by category. Alternatively, you can access the full text of the PARLINE data about this parliament (downloading will take longer). |
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Last Elections | Parliamentary Mandate | Full text | Parliamentary Oversight PARLINE database: new search |
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