ABSTRACT: the rules are divided into 7 chapters and 28 articles. The chapters are: 1) Constitution of the Council; 2) The Councillors; 3) The President of the General Council; 4) The Commissions; 5) Order of the day; 6) Discussion; 7) Voting.

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CHAPTER I

CONSTITUTION OF THE COUNCIL

Article 1

The first meeting of the Council is called within three months of the end of the Congress. Subsequently, the Council is convened within the first six months of the year.

The Council is convened by the Secretary of the Party, who shall chair it until the President is elected.

The election of the President shall be the first point on the agenda of the meeting.

CHAPTER II

MEMBERS OF THE COUNCIL

Article 2

The Council is formed of elected members who have enrolled in the Radical Party in the year in question. Any member of the Council who has not enrolled in the Party forty-five days before the date set for the meeting of the General Council will forfeit the right to be a member of the Council.

The office of councillor is not compatible with any other office in the executive organs of the Party.

Members who lose their place in the Council through forfeiture or incompatibility will be replaced by the first of the substitute candidates who is a member of the Party at the time the vacancy arises.

Article 3

Members who wish to resign from the Council must present written notice of resignation to the President. The Council will discuss the resignation in the first meeting after the notice has been presented. Notice of resignation may be withdrawn in writing at any time before it is discussed by Council.

If the Council accepts the resignation, the member will be replaced by the first of the substitute candidates who was a member of the Party on the day in which the notice of resignation was presented.

CHAPTER III

THE PRESIDENT OF THE GENERAL COUNCIL

Article 4

The election of the President of the General Council will take place by secret ballot and by absolute majority of the members of the Council. If no candidate has obtained an absolute majority after two ballots, in the third ballot the President will be elected by majority of votes cast.

Article 5

The President shall chair the Council and represent it. He shall ensure the successful progress of proceedings and ensure that the Statute and the Regulations are respected; he shall, on behalf of the Council, maintain relations with the other Party organs, and shall co-ordinate the activity of any research committees nominated by the Council.

The President will by assisted by a Presidency elected by the Council from among its members and composed of six Vice-Presidents.

The Presidency will be assisted, for the successful progress of meetings, by a Secretarial Committee appointed by the President, also on the basis of the recommendations provided by the Secretary of the Party.

Article 6

In accordance with the Regulations, the President shall give and take away leave to speak, chair and moderate debates, put questions, establish the order of votes, explain the significance of votes and announce the results.

The President shall designate any rapporteurs, who may not be members of the Council, on individual points on the agenda.

Article 7

The President will convene ordinary meetings of the Council once a year for the discussion of a previously established agenda. Extraordinary meetings of the Council may be convened by the President, on the request of the Secretary or the Treasurer, or on the request of at least one third of its members.

Notification of the date and the place of meetings must be given to councillors at least one month in advance. Notification of the date and the place of extraordinary meetings must be given to councillors at least fifteen days in advance.

Article 8

The President can invite non-members to take part in the proceedings, either for the discussion of individual points on the agenda or for entire sessions.

Invitations to non-members may also be decided by the Council at the beginning of the session.

Article 9

At least one-fifth of the members of the Council can present a motion of no-confidence in the President. The motion of no-confidence will be put at the top of the agenda for the next session. The motion will be voted on by majority of votes cast, provided that at least half plus one of the members are present.

If the motion of no-confidence is approved, the Council will procede immediately to the election of a new President.

Article 10

If the President presents a notice of resignation, this will be discussed as the first point of the agenda in the next session.

If the notice of resignation is accepted, the Council will procede immediately to the election of a new President.

Article 11

If the President is absent or unable to carry out his duties, these will be carried out by the Vice-President who was elected with the highest number of votes.

If the President loses the office of councillor through forfeiture, the Vice-President elected with the highest number of votes will take over his duties until the Council is next convened; on that occasion he will chair the proceedings until the election of a new President, which will be the first point on the agenda of the meeting.

If a Vice-President loses the office of councillor through forfeiture, the Council will procede to nominate a replacement in the next meeting.

CHAPTER IV

COMMITTEES

Article 12

The Council can decide to set up research committees on individual issues, elect the members of such committees and establish the terms within which they should report back to the Council.

The Committees shall present reports on their proceedings and on any proposals to the Council.

CHAPTER V

AGENDA

Article 13

The agenda proposed by the President, after consultation with the Secretary and the Treasurer of the Party, will be discussed, modified, and approved at the beginning of the session. In convening the Council, the President must indicate any points which individual members may have proposed, before the convocation of the Council, for inclusion in the agenda, and which he has decided not to include.

Article 14

The Council shall take decisions within the ambit of the powers assigned to it by the Statute of the Radical Party.

The Council cannot debate or take decisions on issues which are not included on the agenda adopted.

Article 15

The Secretary and the Treasurer shall present to the Council a general report on the priorities, the projects and the campaigns they intend to take up, as well as the budget and annual final accounts regarding the activities to be carried out and those already carried out.

There will be a general debate on these reports.

Article 16

At the end of a general debate, the President of the Council or at least twenty members can propose general motions, in the form of resolutions.

The President of the Council or at least ten members can also propose recommendations.

Recommendations must be addressed to the Presidency, which will evaluate their admissibility.

Motions and recommendations can be emended.

CHAPTER VI

DEBATE

Article 17

Councillors who wish to speak in a debate must enrol with the President. The President will give leave to speak according to the order of enrolment, trying as far as possible to alternate between speakers of different opinions and languages.

Article 18

The President shall decide on the deadline for enrolments to speak on a particular point on the agenda. He shall notify the Council of this decision at the latest before giving leave to speak to the member whose speech is the last before the closure of enrolments.

In principle there will be no time limit on speeches, but the President or individual members may propose to vote on a time limit.

Article 19

The President, the Secretary, and the Treasurer of the Party may ask for leave to speak at any time during the debate. They will be given leave to speak at the end of the speech in progress, and will not be subject to time limits.

The President of the General Council may intervene at any time during the debate to appeal to or explain the issues on the agenda, in order to facilitate the progress of proceedings, or to speak on an issue.

Article 20

Members may ask for leave to speak in order to appeal to the regulations at any time during the debate. Leave to speak will be given at the end of the speech in progress. Decisions relating to such appeals are the responsibility of the President, who may question the Council.

Article 21

Procedural questions and points of order may be put forward at any time. The President, having evaluated their admissibility, shall put them to the vote immediately, after giving leave to speak to one speaker in favour and one speaker against.

Article 22

Members may ask for leave to speak on personal questions at the end of the speech in progress. In these cases the member who asks for leave to speak must indicate the content of the personal question, and the President shall decide whether the question is valid.

CHAPTER VII

VOTING PROCEDURES

Article 23

The General Council shall decide first of all on general motions; subsequently, the Presidency will propose to the Council the procedure to be followed with regard to recommendations. When the discussion and the examination of the texts has reached conclusion, declarations of voting intentions may be given before the final vote.

Article 24

All members may present emendments to the texts of resolutions. In order to be deposited, an emendment must be signed by at least ten members if it regards general motions and by at least five members if it regards recommendations.

Emendments concern the text they intend to modify; they shall be signed by their authors and presented in time to be distributed before the relative debate.

The President shall decide on the admissibility of emendments.

The Presidency shall set the deadline for the presentation of emendments.

Article 25

Whenever the Statute and these Regulations do not foresee different procedures, decisions of the Council will be taken on the majority of votes cast, provided that at least half plus one of members are present. For approval or rejection, account will be taken in the count only of votes for or against.

Article 26

Members shall vote by raising their hands. Voting may be carried out verbally on the decision of the President.

Article 27

Voting by the raising of hands will be subject to a recount on the decision of the President, or if request is made by a councillor before the proclamation of the results. If a recount is required, only those who were present at the first vote may vote again.

Article 28

Modifications to the Regulations will be voted by absolute majority of the members of the General Council.