| Parliament name (generic / translated) |
Assemblée de l'Union / Assembly of the Union |
| Structure of parliament |
Unicameral |
| APPOINTMENT AND TERM OF OFFICE |
| Title |
Speaker of the Assembly of the Union |
| Term |
- duration: 5 years (the same as the legislature)
- reasons for interruption of term: resignation, vote of non-confidence when requested, death, dissolution of the Assembly |
| Appointment |
- elected by all members of the Assembly
- the election is held at the latest three days after the opening of the legislature's first sitting |
| Eligibility |
- any member may be a candidate
- candidatures are filed at the opening of the first sitting |
| Voting system |
- formal vote by secret ballot
- absolute majority at the first round, relative majority at the second round
- if no candidate wins an absolute majority at the first round, the two candidates who obtained the highest number of votes face off at a second round held the next day; the candidate winning the most votes is declared elected |
| Procedures / results |
- the oldest member presides over the Assembly during the vote
- the two youngest members act as tellers
- the oldest member immediately announces the result
- any challenges are raised, discussed and settled immediately |
| STATUS |
| Status |
- 2nd-highest ranking person in the State
- in the event of a vacancy, is replaced by one of the Deputy Speakers |
| Board |
- the Assembly Board is governed by the Standing Orders
- it is made up of the Speaker, three Deputy Speakers, three questors and five secretaries
- all Board members except the Speaker of the Assembly are elected for one year
- it meets every Monday and may be convened in extraordinary session on the initiative of its members
- is a collegial body |
| Material facilities |
- basic allowance of KMF 375,333
+ special allowance of KMF 131,750
- housing allowance of KMF 375,000 |
| FUNCTIONS |
| Organization of parliamentary business |
- convenes sessions
- establishes and modifies the agenda as agreed with the Conference of Presidents and the Government
- organizes the deliberations and decides on the time allocated to each speaker
- examines the admissibility of draft legislation and amendments
- refers texts to a committee with the agreement of the Conference of Presidents and the Government
- examines the admissibility of requests for the establishment of committees and/or commissions of inquiry, proposes or decides on the establishment of such committees/commissions with the agreement of the Conference of Presidents and the Government |
| Chairing of public sittings |
- opens, adjourns and closes sittings
- ensures respect for the provisions of the Constitution and the Standing Orders
- reads out announcements relating to the Assembly
- is in charge of parliamentary discipline; as such, can decide on and lift disciplinary measures
- grants and withdraws the right to speak
- draws up the order in which amendments are called
- calls for the vote, determines the voting procedure, verifies voting operations and annuls the vote in the event of irregularities
- verifies the quorum
- authenticates the texts adopted and the records of sittings
- interprets the Standing Orders and other rules governing the Assembly
- has discretionary authority to grant the right to speak on a matter not on the agenda and thus to organize impromptu debates |
| Special powers |
- delivers an opinion on the Assembly's draft budget before it is submitted to the Finance Committee
- appoints the Secretary General on the Board's proposal
- oversees the Assembly's services
- delivers an opinion, in application of Article 50 of the Constitution, on the deployment of the armed forces
- is in charge of relations with foreign parliaments
- is in charge of security and, as such, may call on the forces of law and order in the event of a disturbance within the Assembly |
| Speaking and voting rights, other functions |
- takes the floor during legislative deliberations
- issues guidance for interpreting or completing the text being discussed
- takes part in the vote
- proposes laws or amendments
- acts in procedures of parliamentary oversight |
Compare data for parliamentary chambers in the Presidency module
