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5&0. Again. other grounds uf incompafibiLty may be cstablished by law.

SSI. The Co rts ti turion coaitrs on mon bers of the Assembly lhosc imm unicie* (irresponsibilitY and tnviola-baltty) thac arc euemial to the frec eacrcise of their functiont (articlc 54). It ensures their materiał indc-pcndcncc by according them a renumeradon fixed by law (anklc 55).

582- The Constitution fixes the term of office of the Assembly at four ycars (amcle 47, paragraph 1). But the Assembly docs not sit continuouslr during that period. The provisions goveming its scsr.ons atc laid down in the Constmuion (artides 48,49, paragraph 4, and 78, par agraph 3).

583.    In aceordance with regular comrirjtional praetke, tbe Assembly is granced wide powers of self-organkation. Thcsc powers it cxcrcbes in adopting iu own rulet of procedurę (articlc 51). The Constitution mcrcly stipulatcs that a quorum shall ccmpńse two-thirds of the mcmbers of the Assembly (anklc 50). It provides for the clcciion of officets at the opening of the fusi regular session of łach year (artkle 52) and grants such officcri the right. when the Assembly is not in session, to raise the immunity of .mesnbers of the Assembly (artkic 54,-paragraph 2, secdnd sub-paragraph).

584.    Anicie 60, paragraph l, refers to a Fisance Committee. In addirion, the Cdnsdcution implicitly eon-templaics the creation of other commirtces by erapower-ing the Chief Exccuiive, whose right of acccss to the Assembly is recogruzed. to be represented in the Assembly and its Commktees by the Sccrctaries of Exccurivc Dc-partmentt (articlc 76, paragraph 7). Thcsc pr©visicns, in conjuncdon with the Chief Eaecutiyc^ right to inienenc during debates and again before the dosure, limit the Assembly* s powers of self-or ganiła ci on.

(2) The Chief Exccutive

585.    The cx<cucive power is vested in a single person, the Chief £xecutive (aniele 67). The Constitution rules out the collegial or direaorial system. Such is the comemporary tendency. Esen in parliamenury govcm-ments the reins of government are left morę and morę in the hands of the Primc Minister or the Presidenc of the Council. His minister* are assodates, not equal*.

586.    The Chief Execurive is assisted by Sccrctaries of Executive Depanmcrus.

587.    The appointmcnt of the Chief Executive rests with the Assembly. He is appointed by dection at the opening of each new legislarurc (artide 68, paragraph 3). The intention in ma king the dur arion of the Irgislature and the term of office of the Chief Execurive idcruica! was tocstablish a constaoc link of murual conAdcnce berwccn tbe iwo powers.

588.    Eritrean citueas having atuincd the age of thiny-five ycars and in possessron of their politkal righrs arc eligible for the office of Chief Exccucivc (artkle 68. paragraph 2). 42/ Mcmbers of the Assembly, puWic ofhcials and judges arc tGgible. Bur in the cvcnt of a candidate who performs cne of these functions being clccted to the office of Chief Excc\mve he musi choosc betwecn his new and his farmer post, the office of Chief Exe curivc being inccmpauble with any other public office or legislat2ve funoion.

589.    The eieerion procedurę U govcmed by aniele 68, paragraph 1 of tbe Constitudon. Eleaion is by secra ballot, a two-thirds majority of the votes cast being requircd. Votcs most be on by at least two-thirds of the mcmbers of che Assembly in. office, that is to say, the constitudonal quorum (anklc 50). If no candidate ob-tains the rcquircd majority at the first baMot, anocher ballot is hdd among all the candidaies, exccpt the eaodi-datę receiving the kast number of wes, and so oo umil a candidate obtains the rrquired majority.

590.    It should be poinced out that the Consorucion docs not forbrd the int/oduction of new candidaies after each ballot. But if any such new candidate receńrs che least n urn ber of voecs he is eliminated from the next ballot. No candidate ihus eliminated can stand again, at least not in the r.ext ballot. 43/

591.    The Cooscitution provides no solution should this procedurę faił afrer *cveral ballots. The Chitf Execu-tivc can be eleacd ody by a two-thirds majority; a aimple majority was regarded as insufficicnc by the ccnstitueot Assembly, whkh has thus madę »t necessary for futurę Eritrean Asscmblres to display a spirit of coneiliation and comprormse. 44/ But if no candidate obtains the consci-tutional majority the Chief Executive in office will retain his post provisionaUy.

592.    Should the office of Chief Exccutivc fali va-cant during the term of office of a Irgislature, a new clcction is bdd by the same procedurę. This eleaion musi be hdd witłun fifteen days of the office faOing vacant (aniele 68, paragraph 4, and arcide 75, paragraph 3).

42/ The Out/ Exrtuu«« U clig&e for n-elccóoo futklc if, pen-trapb S).

43/ Thu ąucitioo ibould be carcfuU/ tcctkd, *aJun d* (utnrmou

d ihc c^iutilwtkuul ptormótu, b thf Amrabl) 'i *J!*i d procedur*. 44/ Thb iy*c» u not cKfpiio«ul. )( a fo^nd ki p*rXamoiuty conrtiruneot. Thf ippobement o( the Frts>dtf>i d the Council ia Turtu ttądMti aa ibid.** maioruy of mfmbm coaipmbp At Mutobty (aniele 43 cJ che Funch Cooiwuucoi. A uoihr irutm o acpófd, tuuStt ód lului*fot ÓxcSectioacf ebe PirUdet* cl ihr lUpoblie fankle 13). The Im* Law d Vmim Ce rwy Ur the cWolon d the CharceZoe (an*k 63) and the JCoiun Conuimebo (or t>w ctrciioo of the hnHent of ih* Rcyubf* (ameb 3J) piorJe chat a avr.pV cujoery iSall fiaaUf suffice. J no cjoAdair wouU ochrfvue be cboed.

i93. The designation of an acting Chief Exceuti\e with the Chie/Executivein office. who designaces one of the Secreuries of Executi\e Depa mnrnts to aa for Kim if hc is cemporarily prevenred from discharging his dutics or if his post fali* vacant, umil such hme as a new Oucf EaecutWc \% elccied (articlc 71). The Chief Exccutivc has puakiUy a free chokc. He has merdy to give the person be selects a po*^r ** Secreury of an Exccutive Depanment. r if ke does noc already. hoM one. But it is essential thar joch designation shoJd take place as^sooo as the Chiei

•    £xccucivc has been eleacd. Furthermote. the Chief Ex-caAive may roodify his choict at any cime during his period of office. 45/

594.    The Chief Executive may ceasc to hołd his office for various reasons.

595.    The Chief Executive*s term of office normally comes to an end on the eleaion of a new Chief Exccutivc, *hich ukes place, in aceordance with the Constitution, at tbe opening of each new hgislaturc (aniele 66, para-paph 3). It may also bc terminated during the lcgislature by the dcath, resignation or removal hem office of the Ouef Executivc. The excepuonal procedurę governins lemoril from office is desaibed in ćcuil in aniele 75 of the Constitution. It is bascd on the classk traditional

-* prorisions with regard to disqualxficatidn. The Assembly may only dccide to impeach the Chief Executivc before

•    the Supremę Coun by a two-thirds majority of its mcm-bers.

596.    On the odier hand, the Assembly may in no casc dismiss the Chief Exccutis*e. The lattcr is no: respon-siUe to the Assembly. Hc is independent ęl the Assem Wy throoghout thc.whole of his term of office. In other words, in iclation to the Assembly hc is in the same posńion as mcm bers of the Assembly in rtlation to the

^ ekciorate. The Chief Exccucivc represents the Assembly ^: as the lattcr represents the clcctotate. This situation is v charaaeristic of a non-parliamentary system. ^ri 597. The Constitution defines the organiuuonal . principlcs of «hc EaccutWe. It leavcs to the law the task '; of applying these principlcs. 46/

598.    The Secretarirs of Execuci\e Department* are appointed and dismissed by che Chief Exccutive. They assist, and are rcsponsible to, him (aniele 69). They may be periodicaliy convened in council by the Chief Execu-tivc. This council has no power of decisioa (aniele 74).

C Ltgislaiiut funclioni and conititucnt power

(1) Funaions of the Assembly

599.    The Assembly votcs the Uws (aniele 56). U cotutituces the supremę legislative autbority. The proce-dure for the draftlng and adopiion of law* b laid down » the Asscmbly*s rules of procedurę (aniele 57, para-graph 2). Nercnheless, the Constitution provides that the

initia:ivc in submitringlawsKes wtó the individual mcm-bers oi the Assembly and the Chief Exccutivc lanklc 57. paragraph 1).

600.    The laws adopted by the Assembly arc imme• diately iransmined by the President of the Assembly to che Chief Executive. Thę datę on whkh a law is voted of comiderablc imponance, sińce it initiates a paiod ot* t wenty days wkhin whkh the Emperor*s Represenatwe may, on the grounds already stated. request recoosidera-tion of the law and the Chief Executivc himself may also rcqucst reconsidcration (arrkle 58, paragraphs 3 and 4). This right conferrcd on the Chkf Executi\*e b met with in other Consiitucions. 47/

601.    Where no rcqucst for consideraóon has been submicted before the expiry of this timc-limit of twenty days, the law must be promulgaied and publisbed in aceordance with the procedurę set lorth in anide 58, paragraphs 4,5 and 6,’and anide 76, paragraph 5. The same appliet where, after reconsidcration has bccn rc-qucsicJ, the law has been adopted by the Assembly by a two-thirds majority.

602.    The Jaw whkh has been promulgated and published may be challenged as unconsticurional before the Supremę Coun (articlc 90, paragraph 3). Should the law confiia with the Constitution, the lancr shall prevail.

603.    Among the legislirivc hmaions of the Assembly, special mcmion must be madę of its competcncc in budgerary matters. The Consótutioa of Eritrca lays down prtaeipks and rules goveming the drafting and adoption of the budget, its implemenucion and the supemsion of its impkmenution. Provision b madę for laws to bc cnactcd embodying those priiKiple> and rules. 48/

604.    In aceordance with a pracncc consuntly en-countered in comparaiive budgeury law, the budget is drafted by the govemmcnc (aniele 59). The Chief Exccu-rive^#s draft budget is examined by the Assembly Finance Committee, a generał debate on it being held in the Assembly, at the bepnmng of the secoad regular session (aniele 60, paragraphs 1 and 2). Following chi* generał debate, the Chkf Exeaitive must submii to the Assembly a revised draft budget induding any suggestions madc by it which he may sec fit co incorpocate. It thus rests with 4V Th< tw* Oid Lxec*cnt. <o otiumój dfkt ahtr dw rrvpu-Don o« deaih of the Chief Lutuwt, muu aUo deiigAMf ia acting Chief LucotWc.

4it Thui aniele 6S. paragnph 4, Ira%a the rwmbrr »r3 taoiact d Secrcucief d Lx«u:.« c bepiiuneou to bt DrtłcnU4 bj U w. The Ce<tunułMXwr hai preparei a draft bw oa ih<s poiai i* todwtcuon w*h tli Bnńih AdA^ksC/atioa. Set dupter \*TL    ^R below.

47/ ro# ourapU. in vamnx foenu, in th< CmMcm of Cictb* ilcr*    (anklT51 and 37). FinUnd Unkk 17). f iaow

kebnd (anide 24). kł>ybn*le 74),Nor«ra_r (ankiet 71 and 77) ani the United Sotri oJ Ameeica (ankic 7. kcuoii D.

48/ The organ* b* ©n the B-udgn drafted KHnUy by the Comnw-liootr and the Br./.iS Adfniniauaóeo b cjLinuncd in chapcer VC. acerka 3 Do/thb icpon.

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126 THZ UNTTLO NA710KS ANO T>IE tSDtHSDŁSCt Of ERfTKtA