All,
please note that there have been a number of changes to the rules.
please note that there have been a number of changes to the rules.
- The post of Deputy Speaker has been added: "The Speaker appoints one fellow MP to the post of Deputy Speaker; the Deputy Speaker fulfills the Speaker’s functions if and while the latter is absent. If the Speaker resigns or loses his/her office for other reasons, s/he will be succeeded by the Deputy Speaker."
- Speaker election rules have been clarified: "Any one MP may nominate a candidate for this position; the election is organized by the previous Speaker or, if that is impossible, by the previous Deputy Speaker."
- Presidential succession has been clarified: "If the President resigns or loses his/her office for other reasons, s/he will be succeeded by the Vice-President."
- Party roll-call rules have been clarified, and the penalty for parties which do not comply with roll-call rules has been changed: "I. At the end of every second month, the CRO will hold a roll-call to keep party membership lists current. Party members will have two weeks to respond to the roll-call. At the end of that period, party leaders will update the membership list in their HQ based on that information, and submit an updated membership list to the CRO; they have one week to do so. If parties do not update their HQ membership list or do not submit an updated list to the CRO-office within that time limit, they will be dissolved."
- There now is a roll-call for MPs: "II. The CRO will hold a roll-call for MPs mid-way through a parliamentary term. MPs will have one week to respond to the roll-call; if they fail to do so, they will be replaced as MPs by the appropriate candidates on their party's list."
- The absentee period for MPs has been extended: "If an MP is going to be absent for more than fourteen days, s/he will have to resign his/her seat, to be replaced with the next candidate from their party’s list [...]."
- Ministers can now be MPs at the same time, but they cannot be Speaker or Deputy Speaker (the President still cannot be an MP): "Any citizen can be appointed, but Ministers may not hold the office of Speaker or Deputy Speaker. Ministers may not propose legislation in Parliament, unless they are also MPs."
- At this time, there will be no change to the number of MPs; however, the GM will keep an eye on developments over the coming term and review the issue again at the end (i.e., in April).