Parliament

- Constitution of Estonia

CHAPTER IV: The Parliament

Article 59. The legislative power rests with the State Assembly.

Article 60. The State Assembly has 101 members. Members of the State Assembly are elected in free elections and proportionally. Elections are general, uniform, and direct. Voting is secret. Any Estonian citizen who is at least 21 years old and eligible to vote can run for the State Assembly. Regular elections for the State Assembly take place on the first Sunday in March, of the fourth year following the previous elections for the State Assembly. Special elections for the State Assembly, in cases specified in Articles 89, 97, 105 and 119 of the constitution, are held not earlier than 20 days, and not later than 40 days after the elections have been declared. The procedure for elections to the State Assembly will be established by the State Assembly election law.

Article 61. The commission of State Assembly members starts from the day election results are announced. The same day also terminates the commission of members from the previous membership set of the State Assembly. Before assuming his or her duties, a member of the State Assembly will take an oath of office promising to remain true to the Republic of Estonia and its constitutional order.

Article 62. A member of the State Assembly is not bound by a mandate, nor does he or she incur any legal liability for the voting and political statements made by the State Assembly or any of its organs.

Article 63. A member of the State Assembly should not hold any other government position. A member of the State Assembly is excused from military duty for the duration of his or her commission.

Article 64. The commission of a member of the State Assembly will be suspended on his or her appointment to the Government of the Republic, and reinstated when that person is relieved of his or her duties as a member of the government. The commission of a member of the State Assembly will end before its term: (1) when that person assumes some other government position; (2) when indictment against that person goes into effect; (3) when that person resigns according to procedures established by law; (4) when the State Court has determined that such a person is incapable of performing his or her duties on a continuing basis; (5) when that person dies. In cases where the commission of a State Assembly member is suspended or severed before its term, he or she will be replaced by a substitute member, in the manner established by law. Substitute members have all the rights and responsibilities of State Assembly members. A substitute member's commission is terminated upon reinstatement of the suspended member of the State Assembly.

Article 65. The State Assembly: (1) passes laws and resolutions; (2) calls for popular elections; (3) elects the President of the Republic, according to Article 79 of the constitution; (4) ratifies and rejects foreign agreements according to Article 121 of the constitution; (5) authorizes the prime ministerial candidate to form the Government of the Republic; (6) adopts the state budget, and approves the report of its implementation; (7) appoints, at the suggestion of the President of the Republic, the chairman of the State Court, the chairman of the Bank of Estonia council, the state controller, the chancellor of justice, and the commander or supreme commander of defense forces; (8) appoints, at the suggestion of the State Court chairman, the members of the State Court; (9) appoints the members of the Bank of Estonia council; (10) decides, at the suggestion of the Government of the Republic, on making applications for state loans, and assuming other financial obligations for the state; (11) makes statements, declarations and appeals to the people of Estonia, other states and international organizations; (12) confers state awards, military and diplomatic ranks; (13) decides on taking no-confidence action against the Republic's Government, the prime minister or a minister; (14) declares a state of emergency within the republic, in accordance with

Article 129 of the constitution; (15) declares, at the suggestion of the Prsident of the Republic, a state of war, military draft or end of draft; (16) resolves other matters of state, that are not specifically assigned by the constitution to be settled by the President of the Republic, the Republic's Government, or by other state agencies or local governments.

Article 66. The first session of a newly elected State Assembly is held within 10 days from the time State Assembly election results are announced. The first session of the State Assembly will be convened by the President of the Republic.

Article 67. Regular sessions of the State Assembly are held from the second Monday in January till the third Thursday in June, and from the second Monday in September till the third Thursday in December.

Article 68. Special sessions of the State Assembly are convened by the chairman of the State Assembly, at the request of the Republic's President, the Government of the Republic or at least one fifth of the membership of the State Assembly.

Article 69. The State Assembly elects from among its members a chairman of the State Assembly and two deputy chairmen, who will organize the work of the State Assembly in accordance with the house rules law of the State Assembly and the operating rules law of the State Assembly.

Article 70. The competency of the State Assembly is determined by the house rules law of the State Assembly. At a special session, the State Assembly can pass a resolution if more than half of its members are present.

Article 71. The State Assembly forms commissions. Members of the State Assembly have the right to form factions. The procedure and the rights for forming commissions and factions are established by the house rules law of the State Assembly.

Article 72. The sessions of the State Assembly are public, unless resolved otherwise by a two thirds majority vote of the State Assembly. Voting in the State Assembly is public. Secret voting is arranged, in cases specified by the constitution or the house rules law of the State Assembly, only for the election or appointment of officials.

Article 73. Measures of the State Assembly are passed with a majority of supporting votes, unless otherwise specified by the constitution.

Article 74. Members of the State Assembly have the right to address inquiries to the Republic's Government and its members, to the chairman of the Bank of Estonia council, to the Bank of Estonia president, state controller, chancellor of justice and the commander or supreme commander of defense forces. Inquiries should be responded to within 20 session days, at a session of the State Assembly.

Article 75. Compensation for members of the State Assembly, and restrictions for their income from other employment, are established by law, which can be changed for the next set of State Assembly members.

Article 76. A member of the State Assembly is inviolable. He or she can be held criminally liable only at the suggestion of the chancellor of justice, with the consent of half the membership of the State Assembly.

Preamble

General Provisions

Basic Rights Liberties and Obligations

People

Parliament

President of the Republic

Government of the Republic

Legislation

Finance and the State Budget

Foreign Relations and Foreign Agrements

State Defense

State Control