Chapter II – The Permanent Commission

Article 85. The National Assembly, one day before the ordinary period of sessions is officially closed, shall elect eleven of its members on the basis of proportional representation from the political parties represented therein to constitute the Permanent Commission during the period that it is in recess. No member of the Council of Government shall be elected into the Permanent Commission.

Article 86. The Permanent Commission shall designate its President in its first session, and shall thereafter meet whenever convened by its President. The Permanent Commission shall rule by a majority vote of all its members. The President of the Permanent Commission shall not vote, except in case of a tie. The Permanent Commission shall promulgate its own rules of procedures.

Article 87. The Permanent Commission in the absence of the National Assembly, shall be empowered to:

1. Substitute for the National Assembly in the exercise of its powers, except in the power of creating and passing laws or votes of confidence;
2. Declare whether or not there is sufficient cause to take legal action against the President of the Republic, the President of the Council of Government, the Secretaries of Government, the Members of the National Assembly, the President of the Supreme Court of Justice, or the Ministers of the Supreme Court in cases provided for in this Constitution, and convene the National Assembly in extraordinary sessions when the Tribunal of Justice must be constituted; and
3. Act on matters that have remained unresolved by the National Assembly in order for them to be taken into consideration, and convene the National Assembly in extraordinary sessions when the exigency of the unresolved matter so requires.