Bhutan 2008 Constitution

Article 10. Parliament

1. There shall be a Parliament for Bhutan in which all legislative powers under this Constitution are vested and which shall consist of the Druk Gyalpo, the National Council and the National Assembly.
2. Parliament shall ensure that the Government safeguards the interests of the nation and fulfils the aspirations of the people through public review of policies and issues, Bills and other legislations, and scrutiny of State functions.
3. The election of the members of Parliament shall be in accordance with the provisions of the Electoral Laws of the Kingdom.
4. A person shall not be a member of the National Council as well as the National Assembly or a Local Government at the same time.
5. The Druk Gyalpo shall summon the first sitting of Parliament after each general election.
6. At the commencement of each session of Parliament, the Druk Gyalpo shall be received in a joint sitting of Parliament with Chibdrel Ceremony. Each session shall be opened with a Zhugdrel phunsum tshog-pai ten-drel and each session shall conclude with the Tashi-mon-lam.
7. The Druk Gyalpo may address or sit in the proceedings of either House or a joint sitting of Parliament as and when deemed expedient.
8. The Druk Gyalpo may send messages to either or both the Houses as deemed expedient.
9. The House receiving the message shall, as early as possible, consider the matter referred to in the message and submit its opinion to the Druk Gyalpo.
10. The Prime Minister shall present an Annual Report on the state of the nation, including legislative plans and the annual plans and priorities of the Government, to the Druk Gyalpo and to a joint sitting of Parliament.
11. Both Houses shall determine their rules of procedure, and the proceedings of each House shall be conducted in accordance with its own rules. The rules of procedure in each House shall provide for the appointment of Committees to carry out the business of Parliament.
12. The Speaker and the Chairperson shall convene an extraordinary sitting of Parliament on the command of the Druk Gyalpo if the exigencies of the situation so demand.
13. Each Member of Parliament shall have one vote. In case of equal votes, the Speaker or the Chairperson shall cast the deciding vote.
14. The presence of not less than two-thirds of the total number of members of each House respectively shall constitute a quorum for a sitting of the National Council or the National Assembly.
15. The proceedings of Parliament shall be conducted in public. However, the Speaker or the Chairperson may exclude the press and the public from all or any part of the proceedings if there is a compelling need to do so in the interests of public order, national security or any other situation, where publicity would seriously prejudice public interest.
16. The Speaker shall preside over the proceedings of a joint sitting and the venue for the joint sitting of the Houses shall be the hall of the National Assembly.
17. When the office of a member of Parliament becomes vacant for any reason other than the expiration of term, an election of a member to fill the vacancy shall be held within ninety days as from the date of the vacancy.
18. The members of Parliament shall take an Oath or Affirmation of Office, as provided for in the Third Schedule of this Constitution, before assuming their responsibilities.
19. The Prime Minister, the Ministers, the Speaker, the Deputy Speaker, the Chairperson and Deputy Chairperson of the National Council shall take an Oath or Affirmation of Secrecy, as provided for in the Fourth Schedule of this Constitution, before assuming office.
20. Every member of Parliament shall maintain the decorum and dignity of the House and shall desist from acts of defamation and use of physical force.
21. The members of Parliament or any Committee thereof shall be immune from any inquiry, arrest, detention or prosecution on account of any opinion expressed in the course of the discharge of their functions or vote cast in Parliament and no person shall be liable in respect of any report, paper or proceedings made or published under the authority of Parliament.
22. The immunities herein granted shall not cover corrupt acts committed by the members in connection with the discharge of their duties or cover other acts of accepting money or any other valuables in consideration to speak or to vote in a particular manner.
23. The concurrence of not less than two-thirds of the total number of members of each House respectively is required to remove the right of immunity of a member.
24. The National Assembly and the National Council shall continue for five years from the date of the first sitting of the respective Houses. While the National Council shall complete its five year term, premature dissolution of the National Assembly may take place on the recommendation of the Prime Minister to the Druk Gyalpo or in the event of a motion of no confidence vote against the Government being passed in the National Assembly or in accordance with section 12 of Article 15.
25. Except for existing International Conventions, Covenants, Treaties, Protocols and Agreements entered into by Bhutan, which shall continue in force subject to section 10 of Article 1, all International Conventions, Covenants, Treaties, Protocols and Agreements duly acceded to by the Government hereafter, shall be deemed to be the law of the Kingdom only upon ratification by Parliament unless it is inconsistent with this Constitution.