Artikel 64: dissolution of chambers

Artikel 64
  1. Each of the Houses may be dissolved by Royal Decree.
  2. A decree for dissolution shall also require new elections to be held for the House which has been dissolved and the newly elected House to meet within three months.
  3. The dissolution shall take effect on the day on which the newly elected House meets.
  4. The duration of a Lower House that meets following a dissolution shall be determined by Act of Parliament; the term may not exceed five years. The duration of an Upper House that meets following a dissolution shall end at the time at which the duration of the dissolved House would have ended.

In andere talen:

English

  1. Each of the Houses may be dissolved by Royal Decree.
  2. A decree for dissolution shall also require new elections to be held for the House which has been dissolved and the newly elected House to meet within three months.
  3. The dissolution shall take effect on the day on which the newly elected House meets.
  4. The duration of a Lower House that meets following a dissolution shall be determined by Act of Parliament; the term may not exceed five years. The duration of an Upper House that meets following a dissolution shall end at the time at which the duration of the dissolved House would have ended.

Français

  1. Chacune des Chambres peut être dissoute par décret royal.
  2. Le décret portant dissolution ordonne également une nouvelle élection pour la Chambre dissoute, et la réunion de la Chambre nouvellement élue, dans les trois mois.
  3. La dissolution prend effet le jour de la réunion de la Chambre nouvellement élue.
  4. La loi fixe la durée des pouvoirs de la Seconde Chambre qui succède à celle qui a été dissoute ; cette durée ne peut excéder cinq ans. Les pouvoirs de la Première Chambre qui succède à celle qui a été dissoute prennent fin à la date où auraient pris fin les pouvoirs de cette dernière.

Deutsch

  1. Jede der beiden Kammern kann durch königlichen Erlass aufgelöst werden.
  2. Der Erlass zur Auflösung enthält gleichzeitig die Vorschrift zur Neuwahl der aufgelösten Kammer und zum Zusammentreten der neugewählten Kammer innerhalb von drei Monaten.
  3. Die Auflösung wird an dem Tag wirksam, an dem die neugewählte Kammer zusammentritt.
  4. Das Gesetz setzt die Dauer der Wahlperiode der Zweiten Kammer nach einer Auflösung fest; sie darf nicht länger sein als fünf Jahre. Nach einer Auflösung endet die Wahlperiode der Ersten Kammer zu dem Zeitpunkt, zu dem die Wahlperiode der aufgelösten Kammer abgelaufen wäre.

Español

  1. Cada una de las Cámaras puede ser disuelta por real decreto.
  2. El decreto de disolución ordenará asimismo que se celebren nuevas elecciones para la Cámara disuelta y que se reúna la Cámara electa dentro de tres meses.
  3. La disolución entrará en vigor el día en que se reúna la nueva Cámara electa.
  4. La ley fijará el periodo de legislatura de una Segunda Cámara que entre en funciones tras una disolución, periodo que no podrá exceder los cinco años. El periodo de legislatura de una Primera Cámara que entre en funciones tras una disolución finalizará en la fecha en que habría debido finalizar el periodo de legislatura de la Cámara disuelta.

Explanation

Please note: Only the Dutch-language version of the Constitution has legal effect. 

The government can dissolve both the House of Representatives and the Senate in the interim and organize new elections. Dissolution of the Senate is rare. It has only occurred in 1904. Elections must always be held following a dissolution.

The Constitution stipulates that the election of a new Chamber and the first meeting of the new Chamber must take place within three months of the dissolution. The fact that a Chamber is always available is guaranteed because the dissolution only takes effect on the day the newly elected Chamber meets for the first time.

For a House of Representatives elected after a dissolution, the term of office is laid down in a law. The term of office is then a maximum of five years. This allows regular elections to be held again at the desired time in March or May, more than four years from now, depending on whether municipal and/or provincial council elections are also held that year.

For a Senate elected after a dissolution, the term of office remains the same as that of the dissolved Senate, because the term of office of the Senate is linked to that of the Provincial Councils.