Argentine Senate
| Argentine National Senate Senado de la Nación Argentina |
|
|---|---|
 |
|
| Type | |
| Type | Upper house |
| Leadership | |
| Vice President of Argentina | Amado Boudou, PJ-FPV Since 10 Dec 2011 |
| Provisional President | Beatriz Rojkés de Alperovich, PJ-FPV Since 30 Nov 2011 |
| Majority Leader | Miguel Ángel Pichetto, PJ-FPV Since 10 Dec 2001 |
| Minority Leader | Luis Petcoff Naidenoff, UCR Since 30 Nov 2011 |
| Structure | |
| Seats | 72 (list) |
| Political groups | PJ - FPV (32) UCR (14) Federal Peronism (11) Broad Progressive Front (4) Córdoba Civic Front (2) New Encounter (2) Civic Coalition (2) Civic Front for Santiago (1) Neuquén People's Movement (1) |
| Elections | |
| Last election | 23 October 2011 |
| Meeting place | |
 |
|
| Senate Chamber, Argentine Congress Buenos Aires, Argentina |
|
| Website | |
| www.senado.gov.ar | |
The Argentine Senate (Spanish: Honorable Senado de la Nación Argentina) is the upper house of the Argentine National Congress.
Contents |
Overview [edit]
The National Senate was established by the Argentine Confederation on July 29, 1854, pursuant to Articles 46 to 54 of the 1853 Constitution.[1] There are 72 members: three for each province and three for the Autonomous City of Buenos Aires. The number of senators per province was raised from two to three following the 1994 amendment of the Argentine Constitution, and the change took effect following the May 14, 1995, general elections.
Senators are elected to six-year terms by direct election on a provincial basis, with the party with the most votes being awarded two of the province's senate seats and the second-place party receiving the third seat. Historically, Senators were indirectly elected to eight-year terms by each provincial legislature. These provisions were abrogated by a 1994 constitutional amendment, and direct elections to the Senate took effect in 2001. Currently one-third of the members are elected every two years. One-third of the provinces hold senatorial elections every two years. There are no term limits. The Senate is presided over by the Vice President of the Republic, who has the casting vote in the event of ties.
The Senate must obtain quorum to deliberate, this being an absolute majority. It has the power to approve bills passed by the Chamber of Deputies, call for joint sessions with the Lower House or special sessions with experts and interested parties, and submit bills for the president's signature; bills introduced in the Senate must, in turn, be approved by the Lower House for their submittal to the president. The Senate must introduce any changes to federal revenue sharing policies, ratify international treaties, approve changes to constitutional or federal criminal laws, as well as confirm or impeach presidential nominees to the cabinet, the judiciary, the armed forces, and the diplomatic corps, among other federal posts.[2]
There are twenty-four standing committees made up of fifteen members each, namely:[2]
- Agreements (confirmation of federal nominees)
- Constitutional Affairs
- Foreign Affairs and Worship
- Justice and Criminal Affairs
- General Legislation
- Budget and Finance
- Administrative and Municipal Affairs
- National Defense
- Domestic Security and Drug Trafficking
- National Economy and Investment
- Industry and Trade
- Regional Economies, Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises
- Labor and Social Security
- Agriculture, Cattle Raising and Fishing
- Education, Culture, Science and Technology
- Rights and Guarantees
- Mining, Energy and Fuels
- Health and Sports
- Infrastructure, Housing and Transport
- Systems, Media and Freedom of Speech
- Environment and Human Development
- Population and Human Development
- Federal Revenue Sharing
- Tourism.
Requirements [edit]
According to Section 55 of the Argentine Constitution, candidates for the Argentine Senate must:
- be at least 30 years old
- have been a citizen of Argentina for six years
- be native to the province of his office, or have been a resident of that province for two years.
Composition [edit]
- The myriad political parties in Argentina traditionally caucus as alliances. The pro-government Front of Victory caucus and allies have 38 votes (a gain of 3); FPV allies include the Civic Front for Santiago, New Encounter, Neuquén People's Movement, the Salta Renewal Party, and the Corrientes-based Front for Everyone. The various opposition caucuses have 34 votes in all, the most important alliances among which are the UCR (14), Federal Peronists (11, in eight provincial parties), and the Broad Progressive Front (4).
Senate leadership [edit]
The titular President of the Senate is the Vice President of Argentina. Day to day leadership of the Senate is exercised by the Provisional President.
Current leadership positions include:
| Title | Officeholder | Party | Province |
|---|---|---|---|
| President of the Senate | Amado Boudou | FPV |  Buenos Aires Province |
| Provisional President | Beatriz Rojkés de Alperovich | FPV |  Tucumán |
| First Vice-President | Gerardo Morales | UCR |  Jujuy |
| Second Vice-President | Luis Juez | Broad Progressive Front |  Córdoba |
| Third Vice-President | Juan Carlos Romero | Front for Victory |  Salta |
| Parliamentary Secretary | Juan Estrada | ||
| Administrative Secretary | José Zabaleta | ||
| Majority Leader | Miguel Ángel Pichetto | Front for Victory |  Río Negro (Argentina) |
| Minority Leader | Luis Petcoff Naidenoff | UCR |  Formosa |
2009 election [edit]
See also [edit]
- List of current Argentine senators
- Argentine Chamber of Deputies
- List of former Argentine Senators
- List of legislatures by country
References [edit]
- ^ "Sesiónes preparatorias e incorporación y juramento de los senadores electos". Argentine Senate.
- ^ a b "National Senate Regulations". Argentine Senate.
- ^ "Información sobre el Poder Legislativo:Bloque Políticos". Honorable Senado de la Nación. Retrieved January 24, 2012.
- ^ "Autoridades". Honorable Senado de la Nación.
External links [edit]
- senado.gov.ar – Senate of Argentina
