The constitution and laws of Belize
PROROGATION AND DISSOLUTION OF LEGISLATURE
84.- (1) The Governor General may at any time prorogue or dissolve the
National Assembly.
(2) Subject to the provisions of subsection (3) of this section the National
Assembly, unless sooner dissolved, shall continue for five years from the date
of the first sitting of the House of Representatives after any dissolution and
shall then stand dissolved.
(3) At any time when Belize is at war, the National Assembly may by law extend
the period of five years specified in subsection (2) of this section for not
more than twelve months at a time:
Provided that the life of the National Assembly shall not be extended under
this subsection for more than two years.
(4) In the exercise of his powers to dissolve the National Assembly, the
Governor General shall act in accordance with the advice of the Prime
Minister:
Provided that -
a. if the Prime Minister advises a dissolution and the Governor General, acting
in his own deliberate judgment, considers that the government of Belize can be
carried on without a dissolution and that a dissolution would not be in the
interests of Belize, he may, acting in his own deliberate judgment, refuse to
dissolve the National Assembly;
b. if a resolution of no confidence in the Government is passed by the House of
Representatives and the Prime Minister does not within seven days either resign
or advise a dissolution, the Governor General, acting in his own deliberate
judgment, may dissolve the National Assembly; and
c. if the office of the Prime Minister is vacant and the governor General
acting in his own deliberate judgment, considers that there is no prospect of
his being able within a reasonable time to make an appointment to that office,
the Governor General shall dissolve the National Assembly.
(5) If, between a dissolution of the National Assembly and the next ensuing
general election of members of the House of Representatives, an emergency
arises of such a nature that, in the opinion of the Prime Minister, it is
necessary for the two houses or either of them to be summoned before that
general election can be held, the Governor General may, by proclamation
published in the Gazette, summon the two Houses of the preceding National
Assembly and that National Assembly shall thereupon be deemed (except for the
purposes of section 85 of this Constitution) not to have been dissolved but
shall be deemed (except as aforesaid) to be dissolved on the date on which the
polls are held in the next ensuing general election.
(6) During the period between the dissolution of the National Assembly and the
appointment o f a Prime Minister after a general election, the government of
Belize shall continue to be administered by the Prime Minister and the other
Ministers and Deputy Ministers of the Government.
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