The_Revised_Constitution_of_The_Empire_of_Ethiopia-Chapter

Ba Beta Kristiyan Haile Selassie I

The Church of Haile Selassie I, Inc.

The Revised Constitution of The Empire of Ethiopia - 1955 Constitution

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THE LEGISLATIVE CHAMBERS

SECTION 1 - PROVISIONS APPLICABLE TO BOTH CHAMBERS

ARTICAL 76

The Parliament shall be composed of a Chamber of Deputies and a
Senate. No one can be simultaneously a member of both the
Chamber of Deputies and The Senate. The two Chambers shall meet
together at the beginning and the end of each session, in the
circumstances set forth in Articals 90 and 91, upon the call of the
Emperor, and upon such other occasions as may be determined by
the Chambers, The President of the Senate shall preside at all joint
meetings of the Chambers.

ARTICAL 77

The regular sessions of Parliament shall convene on the twenty-third
day of the month of Tekemt of each year in the Capital of the Empire
and shall continue to the first day of the month of Sene (8 June).

Until a new Parliament shall be elected and convened in accordance
with the present Constitution and the electoral law to be enacted, the
two Chambers of Parliament, as heretofore constituted, shall
continue to sit and shall, in accordance with the provisions and
procedures established in Chapter V of the present Constitution,
exercise the perogatives and functions and fulfill the responsibilites
provided for in respect of Parliament. the first election to the
Chamber of Deputies shall be completed within two years from the
entry into force of the present Constitution and in accordance with
the provisions of the electoral law.

ARTICAL 78

No meeting of either Chamber of Parliament shall be closed to the
public except upon a request by the Prime Minister, or upon a
decision by a majority vote of the Chamber of Deputies or the Senate,
as the case may be, to that effect. No joint meeting of the Chambers
shall be closed to the public except upon a request by the Prime
Minister or a decision by the majority of each of the Chambers to that
effect. If, after a question has been declared to be secret, a member of
either Chamber makes it known to the public, either in a speech, or
by the press, or by writings, or in any other way, he shall be
punished according to the provisions of Penal Law.

ARTICAL 79

Neither of the Chambers shall commence its deliberations on the
first day of any session without the presence of two-thirds of its
members, or continue its deliberations, or take any vote on any
succeeding day of any session without the presence of a majority of
its members at joint meetings of the Chambers, the presence of a
majority of the members of each Chamber shall be required for
deliberations and for voting.

ARTICAL 80

If the quorum of Deputies and of Senators prescribed in Artical 79 is
not present on the day designed for the convening of Parliament or if,
thereafter, either of the Chambers, or the Chambers in joint meeting,
cannot continue deliberations or vote for lack of the required
attendance, the members present shall take such measures as may
be authorized in the rules of procedure of the respective Chambers,
to compel the attendance of a sufficient number of the absent
members.

ARTICAL 81

Every Deputy or Senator, before taking his seat in the Chamber to
which he has been elected or appointed, shall take, before the
Emperor, or if directed by Him,before the President of the Legislative
Chamber concerned, an oath of loyality to the Emperor and to the
Empire, and shall swear that he will obey the Constitution and the
laws of the Empire and will perform his duties conscientiously and
without fear or favour.

ARTICAL 82

Each Chamber shall determine its own rules of procedure and
internal discipline.

ARTICAL 83

Members of Parliament shall receive salaries determined by law. Any
law increasing the salaries of members of Parliament shall be
effective only from the date of the election of the Next Parliament.

ARTICAL 84

No action or charge may be brought against any member of
Parliament, or against any Minister appearing by right or upon the
invitation of either Chamber, for words uttered or written statements
submitted by him at any meeting of any committee of either
Chambers, or any joint meeting of the Chambers, or any meeting of
any committee of either Chamber. Nevertheless, every member of
each Chamber of Parliament shall be obliged to respect all rules of
order, conduct and procedure adopted by such Chamber for the
transaction of its business and shall be subject to discipinary action
on the part of such Chamber for violation of such rules. No action or
charge may be brought against any person or any newspaper for
publication, by or under the authority of Parliament or of either
Chamber thereof, as the case may be, of any report, paper, votes or
proceedings of Parliament or either Chamber thereof, as the case
may be.

ARTICAL 85

No member of Parliament, during a session thereof, may be arrested
or detained or summoned to answer a criminal charge, unless the
permission of the Chamber of which he is a member be obtained, or
he be arrested in flagrante delicto. A comparable immunity does not
apply to civil cases.

ARTICAL 86

Laws may be proposed to either, or both Chambers of Parliament:

(a) by The Emperor, or

(b) by ten or more members of either Chamber of Parliament, except
that every proposal involving an increase in governmental
expenditure or a new or increased tax shall first be presented to the
Chamber of Deputies.

ARTICAL 87

All matters in either Chamber or in joint meeting of the Chambers
shall be determined by vote of the majority of the members present,
except as provided in Artical 131. In event of an equal division of
votes, the presiding officer shall have a casting vote.

ARTICAL 88

Every proposal of legislation approved by one Chamber of Parliament
shall be immediately forwarded through the President thereof to the
other Chamber. If it is approved by the other without amendments
within a period of two months, it shall be promptly communicated
through the Prime Minister to the Emperor and shall either be
promulgated as law, or returned by the Emperor to the Chambers
with His observations thereon, or with a new proposal of legislation as
provided in Artical 91. All laws duly approved by both Chambers of
Parliament shall be forwarded to the Emperor through the Prime
Minister, by the Presidents of Chamber of Deputies and of the
Senate. In the event that such law shall receive the approval and
signature of the Emperor, it shall be published by the Minister of the
Ren in the Negarit Gazeta, with recital of the affixing of the Signature
and the Great Seal of the Emperor.
All Imperial Decrees and all ministerial decrees and orders shall be
published in the Negarit Gazeta.

ARTICAL 89

If proposal of legislation approved by one Chamber is not finally acted
upon the other within the aforesaid period of two months, the
Chambers shall meet together to discuss the said proposal. If the
proposal is approved in such joint meeting, with or without
amendments, within 30 days, it shall be communicated to the
Emperor for action in accordance with Artical 88.

ARTICAL 90

If, within the aforesaid period of two months, a proposal of legislation
approved by one Chamber, is approved by the other with
amendments, the said proposal shall be returned to the first
Chamber for further consideration. If, upon such consideration, it is
approved within 30 days, by the first Chamber, with the said
amendments, it shall be communicated to the Emperor for action in
accordance with Artical 88. If, within 30 days, the amendments are
not accepted by the first Chamber, the Chambers shall, thereupon,
shall meet together to discuss the proposal. If, in such joint meeting,
the proposal is approved, with or without amendments, within 30
days, it shall, thereupon, be communicated to the Emperor for action
in accordance with Artical 88.

ARTICAL 91

If a proposal of legislation approval in one of the Chambers is rejected
by the other within two months after its communication to it, as
provided in Artical 88, or if a proposal of legislation is not approved,
with or without amendments, after discussion in a joint meeting, as
provided in Artical 89 and 90, full reports on the situation shall be
promptly communicated to the emperor by the Presidents of both
Chambers of Parliament, through the Prime Minister, and the
Emperor may, thereupon, cause to be transmitted to both Chambers
of Parliament, His observations in regard to such reports and such
proposal of legislation, or cause to be transmitted to the Chambers, a
proposal of legislation on the same subject.

ARTICAL 92

In cases of emergency that arise when the Chambers are not sitting,
the Emperor may proclaim decrees consistant with the Constitution,
which shall have force of law upon publication in the Negarit Gazeta,
pending a decision on the same by Parliament. To that end, the text
of each such decree shall be transmitted for consideration by both
Chambers of Parliament at their first meeting following each
proclamtion. In the event that, conformably to the provisions of
Articals 88, 89, or 90, of the present Constitution, Parliament shall
approve decrees, they shall continue in force and shall become law
upon publication, in the Negarit Gazeta, of said approval. In the event
that Parliament shall disapprove any such decree, each such decree
shall cease to have force abd effect, upon the publication, in the
Negarit Gazeta, of such disapproval.

SECTION II
The Chamber of Deputies

ARTICAL 93

The entire territory of the Empire, as definded in Artical 1 of the
present Constitution, shall be divided into electoral districts
containing, as nearly as possible, two hundred thousand inhabitants.
The location and limits of each electoral district shall be determined
by law and each such district shall be as regular in shape as
circumstances permit. In addition, each town with a population
exceeding thirty thousand inhabitants shall be entitled to one
Deputy and an additional Deputy for each fifty thousand inhabitants
in excess of thirty thousand.

ARTICAL 94

Each electoral district shall be represented by two Deputies.

ARTICAL 95

All Ethiopian subjects by birth, of twenty-one years of age or more,
who are regularly domiciled or habitually present in any electoral
district and who posses the qualifications required by the electoral
law, shall have the right to vote in such electoral district for the
candidates from such district, as members of the Chamber of
Deputies. The system of voting shall be secret and direct. Details of
procedure shall be prescribed by law.

ARTICAL 96

To be eligible as a Deputy, a person must be, by birth, an Ethiopian
subject who:

(a) has reached the age of twenty-five years;

(b) is a bono fide resident and owner of property in his electoral
district, to the extent required by the electoral law; and

(c) is not disqualified under any provision of the electoral law.

ARTICAL 97

Deputies shall be elected for terms of four years and shall be eligible
for re-election subject to their continual possession of the
qualifications set forth in Artical 96.

ARTICAL 98

Vacancies that may occur in the membership of the Chamber of
Deputies shall be filled as provided in the electoral law.

ARTICAL 99

The President and two Vice Presidents of the Chamber of Deputies
shall be elected each year from and by members of the Chamber.

ARTICAL 100

The Chamber of Deputies shall be sole judge of the qualifications and
election of its members.

SECTION III
THE SENATE

ARTICAL 101

The Senate shall consist of the Senators appointed by the Emperor
for six years.

ARTICAL 102

The Senate shall be composed of a number of persons, not exceeding
one half of the total number of Deputies, to be chosen by the
Emperor from amounst those who have, by their acts, secured the
confidence and esteem of the people, and from amongst those who
have served their country and their government with distinction.

ARTICAL 103

To be eligible for appointment as a member of the Senate, a person
must be, by birth, an Ethiopian subject who:

(a) has reached the age of thirty five years;

(b) is a Prince or other dignitary, or a former high governmental
official, or other person generally esteemed for his character,
judgement and public services; and

(c) is not disqualified under any provision of the electoral law.

ARTICAL 104

The Senators first appointed by the Emperor, as provided in Artical
101, shall, immediately after their first meeting, be divided into three
equal groups. The Senators of the fisrt group shall be succeeded at
the end of the second year by Senators appointed in accordance with
the provisions of Artical 101, those of the second group, at the end of
the fourth year, and those of the third group, at the end of the sixth
year, so that one third be succeeded every second year.

ARTICAL 105

Senators shall be eligible for re-appointment subject to their
continued possession of the qualification set forth in Artical 103.

ARTICAL 106

Vacancies in the membership of the Senate shall be filled by
appointments in the manner provided in Artical 101.

ARTICAL 107

The President and two Vice Presidents of the Senate shall be
appointed each year by the Emperor from amounst the Senators.

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Chapter VI

The Church of Haile Selassie I, Inc.

Ba Beta Kristiyan Haile Selassie I