Page:Vanuatu constitution.pdf/24



CONSTITUTION OF THE REPUBLIC OF VANUATU A bill for an amendment of the Constitution shall not come into effect unless it is supported by the votes of no less than two-thirds of all the members of Parliament at a special sitting of Parliament at which three-quarters of the members are present. If there is no such quorum at the first sitting, Parliament may meet and make a decision by the same majority a week later even if only two-thirds of the members are present.

86. Amendments requiring support of referendums

A bill for an amendment of a provision of the Constitution regarding the status of Bislama, English and French, the electoral system, or the parliamentary system, passed by Parliament under Article 85, shall not come into effect unless it has been supported in a national referendum.

87. First President of the Republic

Notwithstanding Chapter 6 the first President of the Republic shall–
 * (a) be such person as shall have been elected prior to the Day of Independence by an electoral college constituted for that purpose by the Representative Assembly sitting with the Presidents of the Regional Councils if then established;
 * (b) assume office on the Day of Independence and hold office in accordance with the provisions of the Constitution.

88. First Prime Minister and other Ministers

The persons who immediately before the Day of Independence hold office as Chief Minister or any other Minister shall as from that day hold office as Prime Minister or other Minister, as the case may be, as if they had been elected or appointed thereto under Chapter 7.

89. First Parliament

(1) The persons who immediately before the Day of Independence are members of the Representative Assembly shall on that day become members of Parliament and shall hold their seats in Parliament in accordance with the Constitution.

(2) The person who immediately before the Day of Independence holds the office of Chairman of the Representative Assembly shall as from that day act in the office of Speaker of Parliament until a person is elected to hold that office.

(3) The standing orders of the Representative Assembly in force immediately before the Day of Independence shall have effect as from that day as the standing orders of Parliament until modified or replaced under Article 21(5) but shall be construed with such adaptations as may be necessary to bring them into conformity with the Constitution.

(4) Parliament shall, unless sooner dissolved, stand dissolved on the 14 November 1983.

90. Existing offices Rh