The National a.s.sembly chooses its President, Vice-President and its Secretaries. It regulates its own procedure.
ARTICLE 27
During the interval between sessions, or while elections are taking place, the President and Vice-President of the preceding session conduct its affairs.
ARTICLE 28
The President administers the regulations and policing of the National a.s.sembly building. The management of the building is subject to his direction; he controls its receipts and expenses in accordance with the provisions of the budget, and represents the Commonwealth in all legal affairs and in litigation arising during his administration.
ARTICLE 29
The proceedings of the National a.s.sembly are public. At the request of fifty members the public may be excluded by a two-thirds vote.
ARTICLE 30
True and accurate reports of the proceedings in public sittings of the National a.s.sembly, of a State a.s.sembly, or of their committees, are absolutely privileged.
ARTICLE 31
An Electoral Commission to decide disputed elections will be organized in connection with the National a.s.sembly. It will also decide whether a delegate has forfeited his seat.
The Electoral Commission consists of members of the National a.s.sembly, chosen by the latter for the life of the a.s.sembly, and of members of the National Administrative Court, to be appointed by the President of the Commonwealth on the nomination of the presidency of this court.
This Electoral Commission p.r.o.nounces judgment after public hearings through a quorum of three members of the National a.s.sembly and two judicial members.
Proceedings apart from the hearings before the Electoral Commission will be conducted by a National Commissioner appointed by the President of the Commonwealth. In other respects the procedure will be regulated by the Electoral Commission.
ARTICLE 32
The National a.s.sembly acts by majority vote unless otherwise provided in the Const.i.tution. For the conduct of elections by the National a.s.sembly it may, in its rules of procedure, make exceptions.
The quorum to do business will be regulated by the rules of procedure.
ARTICLE 33
The National a.s.sembly and its committees may require the presence of the National Chancellor and of any National Minister.
The National Chancellor, the National Ministers, and Commissioners designated by them, have the right to be present at the sittings of the National a.s.sembly and of its committees. The States are ent.i.tled to send their plenipotentiaries to these sittings to submit the views of their Cabinets on matters under consideration.
At their request the representatives of the Cabinets shall be heard during the deliberations, and the representatives of the National Cabinet shall be heard even outside the regular order of business.
They are subject to the authority of the presiding officer in matters of order.
ARTICLE 34
The National a.s.sembly has the right, and, on proposal of one-fifth of its members, the duty to appoint committees of investigation. These committees, in public sittings, inquire into the evidence which they, or the proponents, consider necessary. The public may be excluded by a two-thirds vote of the committee of investigation. The rules of procedure regulate the proceedings of the committee and determine the number of its members.
The judicial and administrative authorities are required to comply with requests by these committees for information, and the record of the authorities shall on request be submitted to them.
The provisions of the code of criminal procedure apply as far as is suitable to the inquiries of these committees and of the authorities a.s.sisting them, but the secrecy of letter and other post, telegraph, and telephone services will remain inviolate.
ARTICLE 35
The National a.s.sembly appoints a Standing Committee on foreign affairs which may also act outside of the sittings of the National a.s.sembly and after its expiration or dissolution until a new National a.s.sembly convenes. Its sittings are not public, unless the committee by a two-thirds vote otherwise provides.
The National a.s.sembly also appoints a Standing Committee for the protection of the rights of the representatives of the People against the National Cabinet during a recess and after the expiration of the term for which it was elected.
These committees have the rights of committees of investigation.
ARTICLE 36
No member of the National a.s.sembly or of a State a.s.sembly shall at any time whatsoever be subject to any judicial or disciplinary prosecution or be held responsible outside of the House to which he belongs on account of his vote or his opinions uttered in the performance of his duty.
ARTICLE 37
No member of the National a.s.sembly or of a State a.s.sembly shall during the session, without the consent of the House to which he belongs, be subject to investigation or arrest on account of any punishable offense, unless he is caught in the act, or apprehended not later than the following day.
Similar consent is required in the case of any other restraint of personal liberty which interferes with the performance by a delegate of his duties.
Any criminal proceeding against a member of the National a.s.sembly or of a State a.s.sembly, and any arrest or other restraint of his personal liberty shall, at the demand of the House to which he belongs, be suspended for the duration of the session.
ARTICLE 38
The members of the National a.s.sembly and the State a.s.semblies are ent.i.tled to refuse to give evidence concerning persons who have given them information in their official capacity, or to whom they have given information in the performance of their official duties, or concerning the information itself. In regard also to the seizure of papers their position is the same as that of persons who have by law the right to refuse to give evidence.
A search or seizure may be proceeded with in the precincts of the National a.s.sembly or of a State a.s.sembly only with the consent of its President.
ARTICLE 39
Civil officers and members of the armed forces need no leave to perform their duties as members of the National a.s.sembly or of a State a.s.sembly.
If they become candidates for election to these bodies, the necessary leave shall be granted them to prepare for their election.
ARTICLE 40