| Parliament name (generic / translated) |
Parlement / Parliament |
| Structure of parliament |
Bicameral |
| Chamber name (generic / translated) |
Inama Nkenguzamateka / Senate |
| Related chamber (for bicameral parliaments) |
Inama Nshingamateka / National Assembly
|
| NATURE |
| Nature of the mandate |
Free representation that is national in character. No one can receive more than one parliamentary mandate. |
| Start of the mandate |
- The legislature starts on the day the results of elections are officially proclaimed by the Constitutional Court and ends after five years.
- At its first session, the Senate adopts its rules of procedure, which determine how it is organized and functions. It also elects the Board. The first session convenes as soon as the election has been finalized by the Constitutional Court. It is presided by the oldest senator. |
| Validation of mandates |
Only in the case of a challenge |
| End of the mandate |
Senators' mandates are terminated in the case of death, resignation, physical incapacity, permanent disability and absence without justification from more than one quarter of the sittings of a session provided for by an organic law. |
| Can MPs resign? |
Yes |
Yes, of their own volition.
The President of the Senate is competent to accept the resignation of senators. |
| Can MPs lose their mandate? |
Yes |
Authority competent to accept the resignation: The President of the Senate |
| STATUS OF MEMBERS |
| Rank in hierarchy |
The President of the Senate is the country's third-highest official, after the President of the Republic and the President of the National Assembly.
Within the Senate:
1. The Board
2. Former heads of State
3. Presidents of standing committees
4. Senators
5. Parliamentary administrators |
| Indemnities, facilities and services |
- Diplomatic passport
- Basic indemnity
- Accommodation allowance
- Official allowance
- Tax-exempt status
- Travel allowance |
| Obligation to declare personal assets |
No |
|
| Parliamentary immunity - parliamentary non-accountability |
1) Unless they have been caught in flagrante delicto, senators may only be prosecuted while parliament is in session with the authorization of the Senate Board.
2) Senators may be arrested when parliament is not in session only if they have been caught in flagrante delicto, their prosecution has already been authorized or they have been convicted and exhausted all avenues of appeal. |
| Parliamentary immunity - parliamentary inviolability |
Senators may not be prosecuted, searched for or arrested, detained or tried for opinions or votes expressed in the exercise of their functions. |
| EXERCISE OF THE MANDATE |
| Training |
The Senate provides no training or initiation into parliamentary procedures and practices for senators. Senators are nevertheless encouraged to participate in seminars dealing with those issues whenever an opportunity arises. |
| Participation in the work of the Parliament |
Participation in the work of the Senate is obligatory. If a senator has missed more than one quarter of the sittings of a regular session and did not invoke one of the reasons mentioned below, the Senate Board, after having considered the case, asks the Constitutional Court to terminate the senator's mandate.
Senators may miss sittings for the following reasons:
- if they have been entrusted with a temporary mission by the Government or the Senate
- if excused by the Board for reasons of force majeure |
| Discipline |
- Informal disciplinary action
- Informal disciplinary action noted in the records
- Temporary exclusion |
| Code (rules) of conduct |
- Internal rules of procedure
- Electoral Code
- Constitution of the Republic of Burundi |
| Relations between MPs and pressure group |
There are no legal provisions on such relations. |
Compare data for parliamentary chambers in the Mandate module
