The Deliberative Organ in the Special Status

The North-West and South-West Regions, like the other regions, have a deliberative and an executive organ. However, the names of these organs differ.
The deliberative organ in these regions is called the Regional Assembly, consisting of 2 (two) houses: the House of Divisional Representatives and the House of Chiefs. This particular organization is based on the past of these regions which witnessed a parliamentary tradition. They had a bicameral Parliament with a house of representatives and a house of chiefs. The General Code of RLAs, through the special status, wants to restore this specificity linked to the history of the North-West and South-West Regions which gave the traditional authorities a say in the management of local affairs.
The bicameral nature of the Regional Assembly is intended to improve the quality of debates and deliberations that will result from it. The discussion of a draft deliberation in these houses through the shuttle mechanism will allow for the maximum number of opinions to be gathered on the draft and will contribute to improving its value. Similarly, as in parliamentary tradition, the members of the executive are drawn from the Regional Assembly. In this respect, the deliberative organ retains the possibility, through the impeachment procedure, of dismissing the executive.
The House of Divisional Representatives is composed of 70 members elected by an electoral college made up of municipal councillors from each division of the region. It decides on all matters falling within the competence of the Regional Assembly and has 5 (five) committees, one of which is specific to education issues. It is chaired by the President of the Regional Executive Council.
The House of Chiefs comprises 20 members from traditional authority. In addition to ruling on all matters falling within the competence of the Regional Assembly, it gives its assent on:
– the status of traditional chiefdoms;
– the organization of cultural and traditional events in the Region;
– the collection and translation of elements of oral tradition;
– the management and conservation of historic sites, monuments and vestiges.
Chaired by the Vice-President of the Regional Executive Council, the House of Chiefs has 2 (two) committees.
The Regional Assembly in the North-West and South-West special status Regions has a total of 7 (seven) committees, unlike the other regions which have only 4 (four).
The two houses meet separately on the same dates, and may meet jointly at the opening and closing of the session, when particular matters appear on the agenda, in particular the activity report, the adoption of the economic programme, the implementation of the impeachment procedure, or when circumstances so require.
Their mode of operation includes the shuttle principle for the adoption of deliberations, as is the case between the National Assembly and the Senate. Each of the houses adopts its own standing orders separately, while the Regional Assembly adopts the standing orders of the entire organ, which sets the impeachment procedure.