Senate (Montecara)
Senate il Senàt | |
---|---|
29th Convocation | |
File:MontecaraCoA.png | |
Type | |
Type | |
Term limits | None |
History | |
Founded | 9 July 1936 |
New session started | 5 October 2020 |
Leadership | |
President | Everàrd Torsièl since 5 October 2020 |
First Vice President | Metelo Adorno since 5 October 2020 |
Second Vice President | Aurelia Corxiòn since 5 October 2020 |
First Secretary | Olivia Casèl since 5 October 2020 |
Second Secretary | Albìn io Saco since 5 October 2020 |
Seats | 125 |
Elections | |
Single transferable vote | |
Last election | 21–25 September 2020 |
Next election | 25–29 September 2023 |
Redistricting | Electoral commission |
Meeting place | |
Sàla Maxòr, Palaço di Senàt | |
Palaço di Senàt | |
Website | |
senat.go.mc | |
Constitution | |
Constitution of Montecara |
The Senate (Montecaran: il Senàt) is the upper house of the legislature of Montecara. It is elected by universal suffrage. The Senate elects the Colegio, Montecara's collective executive, at the beginning of every three-year mandate. While primary legislation requires the approval of both the Senate and Popular Assembly, the Senate alone holds some powers, most notably the appointment of certain state officials.
Membership and elections
Montecara is divided into 25 Senate districts, each of which elects five Senators by single transferable vote. Senators are elected to a three-year mandate. There are no term limits.
The Constitution of Montecara requires that Senators have the right to vote (implying that they must be citizens aged at least 20) and reside in the district from which they are elected. It also sets out disqualifications for membership in the Senate, namely:
- Being convicted of a serious crime (crìma);
- Being employed by the state;
- Having a financial interest in a contract or other business agreement with the state.
Legislative procedure
The main responsibility of the Senate is to draft and pass legislation in the form of laws. Usually, the legislative process begins with the issuance of a mandate, which is a concise proposal that demands legislative action on a particular topic. Mandates may originate from the College of State, from a motion of the Senate, or from an initiative of the Popular Assembly. In the cases of a mandate originating from the College of State or from the Senate as a whole, the College itself takes responsibility for drafting the proposal; in the case of a mandate originating with a Popular Assembly initiative, the task is assigned to the relevant Senate committee.
Once a mandate has been issued, the drafting process begins. The College of State as a whole is responsible for its draft legislation, though in practice the relevant Secretary leads the process. The bulk of the work of researching and drafting proposed laws is assigned to the professional staff that support the College. In the case of a Popular Assembly mandate, the staff of the assigned Senate committee are responsible for preparing the draft, with the Senators directing the process.
Once this first draft is complete and approved by the College of State or Senate committee as appropriate, the consultation process begins. This process, which is intended to check the draft proposal for accuracy, enforceability, and acceptability, involves soliciting comment from concerned parties, including civil society organizations, the private sector, experts in relevant academic or technical fields, and interest groups. Input from the Social and Economic Council may, and in cases where proposed legislation affects labor and employment must, be solicited at this time. Once the consultation process is complete, staff prepare a revised draft of the proposal along with a report of their findings which will accompany the proposal as it advances through the legislative process. The proposed law and report are then submitted to the Senate at large.
If the proposed law originated with the College of State, the Senate will at this stage assign the proposal to the appropriate committee for deliberation. To aid its work, the committee may conduct its own consultation procedure. The committee may propose changes to the proposed law which it compiles into a report, and it appoints from among its members a rapporteur who is responsible for presenting the proposed law and the committee's work to the whole Senate.
At this stage, the proposed law is presented to the Senate as a whole. If the proposed law originates from a Popular Assembly mandate, or if it is a budget or financial proposal, it must be considered. Otherwise, the Senate takes a vote on whether to consider the proposal. If the vote fails twice, the proposal will be removed from the agenda. If the vote succeeds, the Senate will proceed to consider the proposal article by article. Senators may propose amendments which are voted on by the whole Senate. Once all articles have been accepted, the Senate votes on the final version of the proposed law. If the vote fails, the proposal is dropped except in the case of budget or financial proposals, which are referred back to the College of State for revision. If the vote succeeds, the proposal is approved. Approved proposals are submitted to the next session of the Popular Assembly.
Organization
Officers
The Senate is presided over by a council of five officers collectively known as the Bancone. This consists of the president, two vice presidents, and two secretaries. The president is responsible for convening the Senate for regular debate and presiding at its sessions; the vice presidents assist in these functions and preside in the absence of the president. The secretaries are responsible for organizing and reading out documents, maintaining the Senate's calendar and files, and generally attending to day-to-day operations. Officers are elected at the first meeting of each new convocation.
Committees
Standing committees
- Committee on State Affairs
- Committee on Foreign Affairs
- Committee on Finance
- Committee on Defense and Security
- Committee on Trade and Industry
- Committee on Social Protection
- Committee on Planning and the Environment
- Committee on Education and Culture
Special committees
- Executive Committee
- General Committee
- Style Committee