The Constitution
A Written Constitution
One page for easy printing
Page 1 Preamble
Page 2 The People
Page 3 The Commonwealth
Page 4 The Legislature (Sections 1, 2, & 3)
Page 5 The Legislature (Sections 4, 5, 6 & 7)
Page 6 The Executive
Page 7 The President (Sections 1 & 2)
Page 8 The President (Sections 3, 4 & 5)
Page 9 The The Judiciary
Part 3. The Legislature.
1. Commonwealth legislative powers are vested by the people solely in the Parliament of the Commonwealth, which shall be composed of a Senate and House of Representatives. National and regional legislative powers may be delegated to national and regional legislative assemblies.
Section 1. The House of Representatives.
1. The members of the House of Representatives shall be elected on the first Thursday in May every fourth year by citizens who are aged eighteen or more years by secret ballot.
2. No person shall be a member of the House of Representatives who when elected was not an inhabitant of that constituency for which she or he shall be chosen.
3. Each member shall be elected by proportional representation from constituencies determined by law.
4. The number of members shall from time to time be fixed by law, but the total number of members of the House of Representatives shall not be fixed at less than one member for each three hundred thousand of the population, or at more than one member for each two hundred thousand of the population. The ratio between the number of members to be elected at any time for each constituency and the population of each constituency, as ascertained at the last preceding census, shall, so far as it is practicable, be the same throughout the country.
5. Parliament shall revise the constituencies at least once in every twelve years, with due regard to changes in distribution of the population, but any alterations in the constituencies shall not take effect during the life of the House of Representatives sitting when such revision is made.
6. When there is a vacancy in any constituency the returning officer for that constituency shall make arrangements without delay for the election of a new representative.
Section 2. The Senate.
1. The Senate shall be composed of one hundred Senators who shall be elected regionally, by proportional representation, on the first Thursday in May by secret ballot for six years. Each region shall have one seat in this Chamber as of right. The remaining seats in this Chamber shall be allocated in proportion to the various populations of the regions, as determined by census.
2. Except for the election of the first Chamber after the promulgation of this Constitution, one-third of the seats shall be subject to election every two years, or when a vacancy happens by resignation or death.
3. No person shall be a Senator who when elected, was not an inhabitant of that constituency for which she or he shall be chosen.
4. When there is a vacancy in any constituency the returning officer for that constituency shall make arrangements without delay for the election of a new representative.
Section 3. Parliament.
1. The House of Representatives and the Senate shall choose their speakers and other officers. Each Chamber shall be the judge of the elections, returns and qualifications of its own members.
2. All questions shall be decided by a majority of those members who are present. The Speaker of each Chamber shall have the casting vote on those questions on which there is a majority neither for nor against. Otherwise each Chamber may determine the rules of its proceedings and punish its members for disorderly behaviour.
3. No one shall be a member both of the House of Representatives and of the Senate.
4. A majority of each shall constitute a quorum to do business; but a smaller number may adjourn from day to day, and may be authorised to compel the attendance of absent members, in such manner, and under such penalties as each Chamber may provide.
5. Parliament shall hold at least one session every year. Sittings of each Chamber of Parliament shall be public.
6. Each Chamber shall keep a verbatim record of its proceedings, which shall be published as soon as may be practicable both in a universally accessible electronic form and in printed form. The vote of each member of either Chamber on any question shall be included in these records.