Page:The Constitution of the Czechoslovak Republic.pdf/34

From Wikisource
Jump to navigation Jump to search
This page has been validated.

the Chamber of Deputies and a first Vice-chairman from among the members elected by the Senate.

7. The members of the Committee shall be subject to the provisions in §§ 23 to 27 of the Constitutional Charter.

8. The Committee shall be competent in all matters falling within the legislative and administrative powers of Parliament excepting:

a) The election of the President or the Vice-president of the Republic.

b) The amendment of the Constitutional Charter (see article 1 of the Introductory Law) and the changing of the competence of Public Officials, unless it be a question of widening the scope of their activities by new duties.

c) Burdening the citizens in the State with permanent financial obligations, increasing the military duties of the citizens or disposing of State property.

d) Giving consent to a declaration of war.

9. Provisions which under ordinary circumstances would require the enactment of legislation or expenditures apart from the Budget, require the assent of half of all the members.

10. In all other cases the presence of half of the members shall be sufficient and a 50 per cent majority of those present shall be decisive. The Chairman shall vote only to cast the decisive vote.

11. Urgent provisions which under ordinary circumstances could be promulgated only by enactments of legislation, are admissible only on the recommendation of the Government approved by the President of the Republic.

12. Provisions of the Committee referred to in the last article shall have the provisional validity of Law only if published in the official record with reference to § 54 of the Constitutional Charter and if signed by the President of the Republic, by the Prime Minister or his Deputy and half of the members of the Government. Provisions to which the President has refused to assent cannot be entered on record.

13. The Constitutional Court shall have jurisdiction over such provisions of this Committee that under ordinary circumstances would require the enactment of legislation and therefore all such provisions shall be laid before it by the Government simultaneously with their publication in the record.

14. The Chairman and the Vice-chairman of the Committees shall report at the next meeting of the Chamber of Deputies and of the Senate the activities of the Committee, even if meanwhile their terms of office as members of Parliament shall have expired.

15. Provisions not approved by both Chambers within two months after their first Session shall lose their validity.

— 32 —