Senate of Chile

The Senate of the Republic of Chile is the upper house of Chile's bicameral Congress, as established in the current Constitution.

Related Topics:
Chile - Bicameral - Congress - Constitution

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Currently the Senate comprises several categories of members:

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• Thirty-eight directly elected senators, chosen by universal popular suffrage vote in 19 senatorial circumscriptions. These serve eight-year terms, with half of them being replaced every fourth year.
• Nine institutional senators: two former supreme court justices and one former comptroller general, appointed by the Supreme Court; former commanders-in-chief of the army, air force, navy, and carabineros, appointed by the National Security Council; one former university rector and one former cabinet minister, appointed by the President of the Republic. Like the popularly elected senators, these too serve eight-year terms.
• All former Presidents of the Republic who held office for at least six years are awarded senate seats for life.

Amendments to the Constitution, approved by a joint session of Congress on August 16 2005, will eliminate non-directly elected senators from March 11 2006, leaving the total number of senators at 38, all directly elected.

Related Topics:
August 16 - 2005 - March 11 - 2006

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The Senate sessions at the new National Congress located in the port city of Valparaíso, which replaced the old National Congress located in downtown of capital Santiago.

Related Topics:
Valparaíso - Old National Congress - Santiago

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The Senate is currently composed of 38 directly-elected senators and nine non-elected senators (institutional senators, or senators for life). Among the elected, 20 are held by the CPD (eleven Christian Democrats, five Socialists, three PPD and one PRSD) and 18 by the APC (six independents, six UDI and six RN). A constitutional reform in 2005 will eliminate non-elected senators starting in March 11 2006, the day 20 newly-elected senators are sworn in.

Related Topics:
March 11 - 2006

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Senate of Chile: External link ►