Welcome to the Norwegian parliament - Stortinget
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The Storting at Work
This page includes information about the working procedures of the Storting. See also The Standing Committees and Party Groups. The Storting's rules of procedure contains provisions on how the Storting is organized and how its business is conducted. The representatives assemble on the first weekday in October to begin a new session of the Storting. When a newly-elected Storting first convenes, the representatives having received the greatest number of votes from each county present credentials from the election committee in his or her county stating that the representatives elected by that county have a mandate to meet in the Storting. All credentials are examined by the Credentials Committee (see The Standing Committees) to ascertain that the representatives have been elected in accordance with existing legislation. When the recommendation from the Credentials Committee has been acted upon, the Storting proceeds to elect its presidents and secretaries. Next, the members of the Lagting are elected. When it has been reported to the Storting that both the Lagting and the Odelsting have elected their Presidents and Secretaries, the President declares the Storting lawfully constituted, and notifies the King thereof. The King normally opens each new session in a solemn ceremony the day after the Storting has constituted itself. In election years, constituting and opening take place around a week later to give the Credentials Committee time to examine the credentials of the new members and thereby establish that they have been lawfully elected. If errors have occurred, reelections may be ordered. The Speech from the Throne, which is delivered by the King, is a presentation of the Government's programme for the coming year. The contents of speech are debated a few days later in the Storting. At each new session of the Storting throughout the electoral term, new officers are elected following the same procedure. After the Storting has been constituted, an Election Committee of 37 members is elected. The Election Committee (see The Standing Committees) elects members to the standing committees and makes recommendations on all elections carried out in the Storting. The six Presidents and Vice-presidents form the Presidium, which administers the business of the Storting. The Presidents lead the meetings in alternating calendar months. In their absence, a Deputy President or a temporary president may lead the meetings. At the end of each week, the schedule for the meetings of the following week is issued, including the list of business to be dealt with at the meetings (the Agenda). Five minutes before a meeting opens, bells ring throughout the Storting Building, calling the representatives to the meeting. Even if they are occupied, they are reminded to meet in the Chamber. The President ascertains that a lawful quorum (50 per cent) is present before calling the meeting to order. When a representative gets up to speak, he or she addresses the President. Statements thus begin with the words, "Honourable President", or simply, "President". The President chairs the meeting and maintains order in the Chamber during the meetings. He is empowered to adjourn the meeting if it becomes unruly or disorderly. The Storting's Rules of Procedure provide rules for the length of speeches, and the President sees to it that speakers do not exceed their time limits. When a lengthy debate is anticipated, the normal practice is to resolve in advance how long the debate may last and how much time the speakers from each party will be permitted to speak. Party time allotments are determined in proportion to their representation, though the smallest parties are always allowed slightly more time per representative than the biggest. Any matter, with the exception of constitutional amendments, may be put to a vote if a quorum of at least half the representatives are present. Voting on constitutional amendments requires at least two-thirds attendance (113). Representatives are notified by means of a distinctive signal to call them to a vote. On the desk of each representative is a voting terminal provided with two buttons, marked "For" and "Against", by which the representative casts his or her vote. The electronic voting system is not employed in all votes, however. A vote is often taken by asking representatives to rise or remain seated, or a roll call vote may be taken. For elections, a secret ballot may also be used. The President announces when the voting terminal is to be used. The Lagting chamber is not equipped with an electronic voting system. To pass, a motion usually requires a simple majority, i.e. over half of the votes cast. Amendments to the Constitution require a two-thirds majority. Section 93 of the Constitution requires a three-fourths majority for legislation which would transfer authority to international organizations. The EEA Agreement was ratified on the basis of this clause (130 to 35 by a roll-call vote). Meetings are normally held on working days between 10 a.m. and 3 p.m. Question Time on Wednesdays normally begins at 10 a.m. The Presidium may also call for meetings to be held between 6 and 10 in the evening if the amount of work renders it necessary. Sittings may continue beyond this hour with the consent of the Storting or the chamber in question. Any interested individual may enquire into the proceedings of the Storting which are conducted in plenary session or in either of the two chambers (the Odelsting or the Lagting). These meetings are open, and both the public at large and the press may be present at the deliberations. A number of publications are also issued in the course of proceedings, including government reports and propositions, committee recommendations and the records of the proceedings of the Storting, the Odelsting and the Lagting. Other proceedings are less visible to the public, being conducted in the committees and the party groups. These two fora are often called the Storting's "heart" and "brains" because this is where many of the most important decisions are really taken. |
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