Source: http://archive.ipu.org/parline-e/reports/2012.htm
Timestamp: 2018-12-16 06:56:12
Document Index: 303041083

Matched Legal Cases: ['Art. 67', 'Art. 67', 'Art. 64', 'Art. 64', 'Art. 56', 'Art. 62', 'Art. 66', 'Art. 66', 'Art. 74', 'Art. 68', 'Art. 69', 'Art. 70', 'Art. 69', 'Art. 64', 'Art. 66', 'Art. 66', 'Art. 66', 'Art. 66']

﻿ IPU PARLINE database: ARGENTINA (Senado), Full text
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Affiliation date(s) 1933 - 1965
President Marta Gabriela Michetti (F)
Notes 10 Dec. 2015 - (Vice-President of the Republic)
Secretary General Juan Pedro Tunessi (M)
Notes 10 Dec. 2015 -
Members (statutory / current number) 72 / 72 PERCENTAGE OF WOMEN
Women (current number) 30 (41.67%)
Mode of designation directly elected 72
Last renewal dates 22 October 2017
Address H. Senado de la Nación
Phone (5411) 4010 3273
4010 3271
Fax (5411) 4010 3273
4010 5520
E-mail gservidi@senado.gov.ar
Constituencies 24 multi-member (3 seats) constituencies, corresponding to the country's 23 provinces and the Federal Capital (Buenos Aires).
Voting system Majority: Majority vote in one round, using party lists.
The list which obtains the highest percentage of votes in each constituency will be granted two seats, while the list with the second highest percentage of votes will take the remaining one seat.
- Argentine citizenship
- birth in province where running or residence there for at least 2 years preceding the elections
Timing and scope of renewal President Mauricio Macri's "Let's Change" (Cambiemos) coalition (see note) increased its share of seats in both chambers of Congress but fell short of a majority. It holds over 100 seats in the 257-member Chamber of Deputies and 24 seats in the 72-member Senate. The coalition won in the traditional stronghold of Peronist forces, including Buenos Aires province and Santa Cruz. Former President Cristina Fernandez de Kirchner formed the Citizens' Unity (Unidad Ciudadana) party and was elected to the Senate. Following the elections, Peronist senators who distanced themselves from Ms. Fernandez de Kirchner (known as "Peronismo no K") formed a new parliamentary group, Justicialista, comprising 25 senators and 30 deputies.
The "Let's Change" coalition included PRO (Republican Proposal), the Radical Civic Union (U.C.R.) and the Civic Coalition, amongst others.
Date of previous elections: 25 October 2015
Number of seats at stake: 24 (partial renewal)
Date of the first session of the new parliament: 10 December 2017
Name of the new Speaker: Ms. Marta Gabriela Michetti (Vice-President of the country)
Victory Front - PJ
Justicialist Party - La Pampa
United Front for Victory
Project South-UNEN
Rio Progressive Front
Union for Federal Santa Fe
Fuegino People's Movement
Progress for San Luis
Chubut For All
Justicialist Chubut
Justicialist 8 October
Political Group Total of seats 2017
Justicialist 20 6
Radical Civic Union (UCR) 12 7
Front Pro 9 2
Victory Front - PJ 9 2
Civic Front for Santiago 2 1
Neuquino Popular Movement 2 0
Justicialist Party - La Pampa 2 0
United Front for Victory 2 2
Production and Work 1 1
Project South-UNEN 1 0
Rio Progressive Front 1 0
Union for Federal Santa Fe 1 0
Pares 1 0
Fuegino People's Movement 1 0
Civic and Social Front of Catamarca 1 0
Progress for San Luis 1 1
Chubut For All 1 0
Popular Front 1 0
Justicialist Chubut 1 0
Justicialist 8 October 1 0
Senate (11.12.2017, 12.12.2017, 06.02.2018)
https://cambiemos.com/
https://www.infobae.com/politica/2017/10/23/como-quedara-conformado-el-congreso-a-partir-del-10-de-diciembre/
Term - duration: 4 years (coincides with the Vice-President mandate), may be reelected
- reasons for interruption of the term: resignation, dissolution of the Senate, death
Appointment - elected by Senators at the Presidential elections (he/she is the Vice-President of the country)
- after Members' mandates are validated and Members are sworn in
Eligibility any Member of the House may be candidate
Voting system - formal vote by public ballot (orally) in only one round
Procedures / results - previous period authorities preside the Preparatory Session in order to elect the new authorities
- authorities in charge of the Preparatory Session supervise the voting
- the Parliamentary Secretary announces the results without any delay
- no challenge is possible
Status - ranks second (as Vice-President of the country) in the hierarchy of State after the Head of State
- precedes the President of the Chamber of Deputies and presides over joint sittings of both Chambers
- represents the Senate with the public authorities or in official ceremonies
- may represent the Senate in international bodies and conferences
- in the absence of the President, the Provisional President and the 1st and 2nd Vice-Presidents assume his/her role and functions
Material facilities - monthly allowance paid by Public Treasure, as other Senators or Deputies
- establishes and modifies the agenda throughout the Parliamentary Affairs Plenary
- interprets the rules of other regulations governing the life of the Senate
Special powers - is responsible for establishing the Senate's budget
- organizes only certain services of the Senate
- proposes bills or amendments, only as Senator
- refers laws to the Executive Power to be promulgated
- ensures the constitutionality of laws by checking and controlling the fulfillment of its provisions
- may be consulted in certain circumstances
Start of the mandate · When the senators take the oath (Art. 67 of the Constitution of 22.08.1994). Procedure (Art. 67 of the Constitution of 22.08.1994, Rules 5 and 6 of the Rules of Procedure of the Senate).
Validation of mandates · Validation by the Senate (Art. 64 of the Constitution)
· Procedure (Art. 64 of the Constitution, Rules 2 to 4 of the Rules of Procedure of the Senate)
End of the mandate · On the day when the legal term of the House ends (Art. 56 of the Constitution)
Can MPs resign? Yes · Yes, of their own free will (see also Art. 62 of the Constitution)
· Procedure (Art. 66 of the Constitution)
Can MPs lose their mandate ? Yes Definitive exclusion from Parliament by the latter (Art. 66 of the Constitution):
- Physical or moral disability
3.	The other senators
Indemnities, facilities and services · No diplomatic passport
· Basic salary (see Art. 74 of the Constitution, see also Rule 7 (2) of the Rules of Procedure of the Senate)
(b)	Assistants (see also Rule 216 of the Rules of Procedure of the Senate)
(g)	Travel and transport
Parliamentary immunity - parliamentary non-accountability · The concept does exist (Art. 68 of the Constitution).
· Parliamentary non-accountability applies to words spoken and written by senators in the exercise of their functions both within and outside Parliament.
· Derogations: offence or insult (Rule 194, 197, and 200 to 203 of the Rules of Procedure of the Senate; see Discipline)
Parliamentary immunity - parliamentary inviolability · The concept does exist (Art. 69 of the Constitution).
· It applies to criminal and civil proceedings, covers all offences and protects senators from arrest and from being held in preventive custody, and from the execution of a judgement providing for the detention of a senator. It does not protect them from the opening of judicial proceedings against them and from their homes being searched (Decision of the Supreme Court of Justice of the Nation (case of the senator Nicasio Oroño, Fallos, Vol. 14, p. 223). However, a senator can be suspended from Parliament in case of a written charge presented before the ordinary courts (Art. 70 of the Constitution).
· Derogations: in cases of flagrante delicto, when caught in the commission of a capital or other infamous or grave crime, senators can be arrested. A summary report of the facts shall be made to the Senate (Art. 69 of the Constitution).
· Protection is provided from the start to the end of the mandate. Since it does not cover judicial proceedings in general, it does not cover judicial proceedings instituted against senators before their election.
· Parliamentary immunity (inviolability) can be lifted :
Participation in the work of the Parliament · It is not compulsory for MPs to be present at plenary sittings, committee meetings or other meetings. But see Rule 192 of the Rules of Procedure of the Senate. For leave of absence, see Rules 26 and 27 of the Rules of Procedure of the Senate.
· Penalties foreseen in case of absence (Art. 64 of the Constitution):
- Loss of salary (Rule 27 (1) of the Rules of Procedure of the Senate)
- Fines, use of force (Rule 29 of the Rules of Procedure of the Senate)
- Other measures (Rule 30 of the Rules of Procedure of the Senate)
Body competent to judge such case :
- Fines, use of force, other measures: the Senate
Discipline · The rules governing discipline within Parliament are contained in Art. 66 of the Constitution, and Rules 33, No. 3, 194, 197, 198, and 200 to 203 of the Rules of Procedure of the Senate.
- Interruption (Rule 197 of the Rules of Procedure of the Senate)
- Warning for irrelevance (Rules 197 and 198 of the Rules of Procedure of the Senate)
- Call to order (Rules 197, 200, and 201 of the Rules of Procedure of the Senate)
- Prohibition to speak for the rest of the sitting (Rule 202 of the Rules of Procedure of the Senate)
- Other measures (Art. 66 of the Constitution, Rule 203 of the Rules of Procedure of the Senate)
- Offence or insult (Rule 194, 197, and 200 to 203 of the Rules of Procedure of the Senate): interruption, call to order, prohibition to speak for the rest of the sitting, other measures
· Competent body to judge such cases/to impose penalties (Rule 33, No. 3 of the Rules of Procedure of the Senate):
- Interruption, offence or insult: the President
- Warning for irrelevance, call to order, offence or insult: the President, the Senate
- Prohibition to speak for the rest of the sitting, other measures, offence or insult: the Senate
- Interruption, warning for irrelevance, call to order, offence or insult (Rule 197, 198, and 200 to 201 of the Rules of Procedure of the Senate)
- Prohibition to speak for the rest of the sitting, offence of insult (Rule 202 of the Rules of Procedure of the Senate)
- Other measures, offence or insult (Art. 66 of the Constitution, Rule 203 of the Rules of Procedure of the Senate)
Code (rules) of conduct · This concept does not exist in the country's juridical system but there is one relevant provision (Art. 66 of the Constitution). See also Parliamentary inviolability - suspension of an MP.
· Competent body to judge such cases/to impose penalties: the Senate