Page:British and Foreign State Papers, vol. 144 (1952).djvu/1397

Rh The decisions of the Court shall always require the favourable votes of at least three of the five members mentioned in the first paragraph of this article.

The method of election and the procedure of the electoral bodies shall be those established by the law, under the guarantees laid down in Section III.

278. The Electoral Court shall communicate directly with the Public Powers.

Section XIX.—The Observance of the former Laws and the Promulgation, Interpretation and Modification of the present Constitution 

Chapter I

279. The laws which have hitherto been in operation in all matters and subjects, and are not directly or indirectly in opposition to this constitution or to the laws which the Legislative Body may issue, are declared to be in force and vigour.

Chapter II

280. Whoever shall act illegally, or lend aid to such attempt, against the present constitution, after it has been sanctioned and published, shall be reputed, tried and punished as guilty of treason against the nation.

281. The present constitution may be modified, wholly or in part, according to the following procedure :—

(a) On the initiative of 10 per cent. of the citizens inscribed in the national civil register, by proposing its modification in a draft which shall be presented to the President of the General Assembly, and submitted to the decision of the people at the next elections.

The General Assembly, both Chambers being in session, may present substitutive formulas, which it shall submit to the decision of a plebiscite at the same time as the popular initiative.

(b) By draft amendments which obtain two-fifths of the total number of votes of the members of the General Assembly, presented to the President of the Assembly. These amendments shall be submitted to plebiscite at the first election which is held.

In order that the plebiscite be affirmative in the cases of paragraphs (a) and (b), it shall be necessary that the “ayes”