Legislative Branch
The legislative organ of the territory is the Legislative Assembly, a 29-member body comprising twelve directly elected members, ten indirectly elected members representing functional constituencies and seven members appointed by the chief executive. The Legislative Assembly is responsible for general lawmaking, including taxation, the passing of the budget and socioeconomic legislation. Terms are for four years, with annual sessions running from 15 October to 16 August. There are several standing committees in the assembly that perform the following functions: examination and issuance of reports and statements on projects and proposals of law, on resolutions and deliberations, and on proposals of alteration presented to the Legislative Assembly; examination of petitions submitted to the Legislative Assembly; voting on issues as approved in general by the Legislative Assembly General Meeting; and answering questions raised by the president or the General Meeting.
The last election was held in 2005 and the current Legislative Assembly is chaired by its president, industrialist Susana Chou (曹其真), who is assisted by the vice president, lawyer Lau Cheok Va (劉焯華).
Read more about this topic: Politics Of Macau
Famous quotes containing the words legislative and/or branch:
“Freedom of men under government is to have a standing rule to live by, common to every one of that society, and made by the legislative power vested in it; a liberty to follow my own will in all things, when the rule prescribes not, and not to be subject to the inconstant, unknown, arbitrary will of another man.”
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