Chamber of Representatives of Colombia
Encyclopedia
The Chamber of Representatives (Spanish: Cámara de Representantes) is the lower house of the Congress of Colombia
.
The Chamber has 166 elected members for four-year terms.
is an electoral administrative division. There are also four special circumscriptions: One for Indian communities, one for Afro-Colombian communities (negritudes), one for other minorities and one for Colombian citizens abroad, which have become lately a much-courted political group.
There will be two representatives for each territorial circumscription, and every territorial circumscription will elect an additional member for every 250,000 residents or fraction greater than 125,000 residents in excess of the first 250,000 residents. The Afro-Colombian circunscription elects two representatives, and the Indian, other minority and expatriate
circumscriptions elect one each.
Congress of Colombia
The Congress of the Republic of Colombia is the name given to Colombia's bicameral national legislature.The Congress of Colombia consists of the 102-seat Senate , and the 166-seat Chamber of Representatives ...
.
The Chamber has 166 elected members for four-year terms.
How the Chamber is elected
According to the Colombian Constitution, every departmentDepartments of Colombia
Colombia is an unitary republic formed by thirty-two departments and a Capital District . Each department has a Governor and a Department Assembly , elected by popular vote for a four-year period. The governor cannot be re-elected in consecutive periods...
is an electoral administrative division. There are also four special circumscriptions: One for Indian communities, one for Afro-Colombian communities (negritudes), one for other minorities and one for Colombian citizens abroad, which have become lately a much-courted political group.
There will be two representatives for each territorial circumscription, and every territorial circumscription will elect an additional member for every 250,000 residents or fraction greater than 125,000 residents in excess of the first 250,000 residents. The Afro-Colombian circunscription elects two representatives, and the Indian, other minority and expatriate
Expatriate
An expatriate is a person temporarily or permanently residing in a country and culture other than that of the person's upbringing...
circumscriptions elect one each.
Requirements
To be a representative, a person must be a Colombian citizen (regardless of place of birth) who has attained the age of 25 years at the moment of election.Exclusive powers of the Chamber
- Elect the head of the Ombudsman's Office of ColombiaOmbudsman's Office of ColombiaThe Ombudsman's Office of Colombia is the national government agency that is charged with overseeing the protection of civil and human rights within the legal framework of the Republic of Colombia. The ombudsman, or public defender , is an official appointed by the President, and elected by the...
. - Examine the budget and treasury audit by the Auditor General.
- Indict for the impeachment of the following officeholders: PresidentPresident of ColombiaThe President of Colombia is the head of state and head of government of the Republic of Colombia. The office of president was established upon the ratification of the Constitution of 1819, by the Congress of Angostura, convened in December 1819, when Colombia was part of "la Gran Colombia"...
, Constitutional Court justices, Supreme Court justices, Judicature Superior Council magistrates, State Council magistrates and the Attorney General. - Listen to the complaints stated by the Attorney General or private citizens against the aforementioned officers, and recommend impeachment if they're worthwhile.
- Request the aid of other authorities to pursue the investigations.
See also
- Constitutional history of ColombiaConstitutional history of ColombiaThe Constitutional history of Colombia is the process of formation and evolution of the different constitutions that Colombia has had since its formation.-Pre-Columbian and Spanish times :...
- List of Presidents of the Chamber of Representatives of Colombia