Circumstances

A motion of no confidence can be tabled when there is disapproval of government actions, when there has been a violation of the Constitution and/or of laws, when the President is unable to fulfil his or her oath of office or when solutions cannot be found to problems threatening the existence of the state or of groups in the population.

Modalites

A motion of no confidence requires the signatures of one third of the members of the National Assembly. The adoption of such a motion requires an absolute majority (Article 71 of the National Assembly's standing orders).

Consequences

If a vote of no confidence is adopted by the National Assembly the Prime Minister and the Government resigns. Two motions of no confidence have been tabled over the past 10 years. The first was tabled by the parliamentary majority group and was adopted in the first quarter of 1995. The second motion was tabled by the opposition and was not adopted.