Constitution

Uruguay 1966 Constitution (reinstated 1985, reviewed 2004)

Table of Contents

SECTION VIII. Relations Between the Legislative Power and the Executive Power

Chapter I

Article 147

Either of the Chambers may pass judgment on the conduct of Ministers of State by proposing that the General Assembly in joint session shall declare that their acts of administration or of government are censured.

Whenever motions to this effect are presented, the Chamber in which they are made shall be specially convoked, within a period of not over forty-eight hours, to decide upon its course of action.

If the motion is approved by a majority of those present, notice shall be given to the General Assembly, which shall be called within forty-eight hours.

If upon the first convocation of the General Assembly there are not a sufficient number of members present to hold a meeting, a second convocation shall be made and the General Assembly shall be considered organized with the number of Legislators who attend.

Article 148

The disapproval may be individual, plural, or collective, but in all cases it must be adopted by an absolute majority of the votes of the full membership of the General Assembly, at a special and public session. However, a secret session may be decided upon whenever circumstances so demand.

Individual disapproval is one that affects one Minister; plural disapproval one that affects more than one Minister; and collective disapproval is one that affects a majority of the Council of Ministers.

Disapproval adopted in accordance with the foregoing articles shall mean the resignation of the Minister, the Ministers, or the Council of Ministers, as the case may be.

The President of the Republic may veto the vote of disapproval whenever it has been adopted by less than two-thirds of the full membership of the body.

In such case the General Assembly shall be convoked into special session to be held within the next ten days.

If after the first call the number of Legislators in the General Assembly necessary to meet do not attend, a second call shall be made, in not less than twenty-four hours nor more than seventy-two hours after the first call, and if the necessary number again is not present, the act of disapproval shall be considered revoked.

If the General Assembly maintains its vote by less than three-fifths of its full membership, the President of the Republic, within the next forty-eight hours, may, by express decision, retain the censured Minister, Ministers, or Council of Ministers, and dissolve the Chambers.

In such case he must call for a new election of Senators and Representatives which shall be held on the eighth Sunday following the date of the decision referred to.

The retaining of the censured Minister, Ministers, or Council of Ministers, the dissolution of the Chamber and the call for a new election must be made simultaneously in the same decree.

In such case the Chambers are suspended, but the rights and privileges of the Legislators continue.

The President of the Republic may not exercise this power during the last twelve months of his term. During that period the General Assembly may vote a disapproval with the effects indicated in the third paragraph of this article, if it is adopted by two-thirds or more of its full membership.

In the case of a disapproval that is not collective, the President of the Republic may not exercise this right more than once during his term of office.

From the moment the Executive Power does not comply with the decree calling for new elections, the Chambers shall resume their sessions ipso jure and recover their constitutional rights as a legitimate Power of the State, and the Council of Ministers shall fail.

If within ninety days following the election, the Electoral Court has not proclaimed elected a majority of the members of each Chamber, the dissolved Chambers shall also recover their rights.

If a majority of the members of each of the new Chambers is proclaimed elected by the Electoral Court, the General Assembly shall meet with all its rights within three days following the respective notification.

The new General Assembly shall meet without prior convocation by the Executive Power and the previous one shall terminate at that time.

Within fifteen days after its organization, the new General Assembly, by an absolute majority of its full membership, shall maintain or revoke the vote of disapproval. If it is maintained the Council of Ministers shall fail.

The Chambers elected by special election shall complete the normal term of those who left office.