constituteproject.org PDF generated: 18 Apr 2016, 15:25 TITLE V: THE NATIONAL ASSEMBLY • Structure of legislative chamber(s) Article 59 The Parliament shall comprise one single house called the National Assembly. Article 60 The members of the National Assembly carry the title of Deputy. • First chamber selection • Term length for first chamber Article 61 The Deputies shall be elected for five years by universal suffrage. An organic law shall determine the conditions of this election. • Immunity of legislators Article 62 The Deputies shall benefit from parliamentary immunity. No member of the National Assembly may be prosecuted, sought, arrested, detained, or tried because of his opinions or votes expressed by him in the exercise of his functions. No member of the National Assembly may, during its sessions, be prosecuted or arrested for criminal or minor offenses without the authorization of the National Assembly, except in the case of flagrant offense. • Standing committees No member of the National Assembly may, out of session, be arrested without the authorization of the Office of the National Assembly, except in the case of flagrant offense, of authorized prosecutions or of definitive conviction. The detention or the prosecution of a member of the National Assembly shall be suspended if the National Assembly so requires. • Compensation of legislators • Replacement of legislators • Minimum age for first chamber • Eligibility for first chamber • Outside professions of legislators Article 63 An organic law shall determine the number of members of the National Assembly, their indemnification, the conditions of eligibility, the areas of ineligibility and of incompatibility. The organic law shall also determine the conditions in which people called to assure the replacement of Deputies shall be elected, in case of vacancy of a seat, until the renewal of the National Assembly. Article 64 All binding instructions (upon members of Parliament) shall be null and void. The right to vote of members of the National Assembly shall be personal. The organic law may authorize, under exceptional circumstances, the delegation of a vote. In this case, no member may be delegated more than one vote. • Length of legislative sessions Article 65 The National Assembly shall convene by right in two ordinary sessions per year. Mali 1992 Page 13