constituteproject.org • Dismissal of the legislature PDF generated: 18 Apr 2016, 15:15 Article 133: Dissolution of Parliament Without prejudice to the provisions Article 76 of this Constitution, the President of the Republic after consultation with the Prime Minister, both Presidents of the Chambers of Parliament and the President of the Supreme Court, may dissolve the Chamber of Deputies if there are national interests at stake. Elections of the Deputies shall take place within a period not exceeding ninety (90) days after dissolution. The President of the Republic shall not dissolve the Chamber of Deputies more than once during his/her term of office. The Senate shall not be dissolved. • Legislative oversight of the executive • Joint meetings of legislative chambers • Standing committees Article 134: Informing the Parliament of Government activities The Prime Minister shall, once in a session of the Parliament, inform both Chambers of Parliament in a joint session, of government activities. The Prime Minister shall communicate decisions of the Cabinet to the Bureau of each Chamber of the Parliament within a period not exceeding eight (8) days after their approval. During the session period, one sitting each week shall be devoted to questions by members of the Parliament addressed to the government and responses thereto. The government shall provide the Chambers of the Parliament with all necessary explanations required concerning its management and activities. Article 135 The President of the Republic may address the Chambers of Parliament together or separately, either in person or by a message read on his/her behalf by the Prime Minister. There shall be no debate on such communication. Should Parliament not be in session, it or one of its Chambers shall be convened specially for the purpose. • Designation of commander in chief • Power to declare/approve war Article 136 The President of the Republic shall have the right to declare war and inform the Parliament within seven (7) days. Parliament shall adopt a vote on the matter by a simple majority of the members of each Chamber. • Emergency provisions Article 137 A state of emergency and a state of siege shall be governed by the Law and declared by the President of the Republic, following a decision of the Cabinet. A declaration of a state of siege or state of emergency must give clear reasons which justify it, specify the part of national territory to which it applies and its consequences, indicate the rights, freedoms and guarantees provided by Law which are suspended and the duration of the state of siege or state of emergency which may not exceed a period of fifteen (15) days. The state of siege or the state of emergency cannot be extended beyond a period of fifteen (15) days without the approval of Parliament, which approval requires a majority of two-thirds (2/3) of the members of each Chamber. Rwanda 2003 (rev. 2010) Page 40