The House of Councillors in the Constitution of December 14, 1962
In accordance with Article 45 of the 1962 Constitution, two-thirds of the members of the House of Councillors are elected in each prefecture and province by a college consisting of members of the prefectural and provincial assemblies and communal councils, and one-third are elected by the Chambers of Agriculture, the Chambers of Commerce and Industry, the Chambers of Handicrafts, as well as representatives of trade union organizations. Only candidates belonging to the college, chambers, or trade union organizations for which they stand for election are eligible.
Members of the House of Councillors are elected for six years and the House is renewed by half every three years, with the first renewal members selected by lot. Members of the House of Councillors are referred to as Councillors of the Kingdom.
The House of Councillors in the Constitution of October 7, 1996
In compliance with Article 38 of the 1996 Constitution, the Chamber of Councillors comprises, in the proportion of 3/5, members elected in each region by an electoral college composed of representatives of local collectivities, and in the proportion of 2/5, members elected in each region by electoral colleges composed of elected members of professional chambers and members elected at the national level by an electoral college composed of representatives of employees.
According to Article 38 of the 1996 Constitution, members of the House of Councillors are elected for nine years, renewable by thirds every three years, with the first and second renewals determined by lot.
The Speaker of the House of Councillors and the members of the Board are elected at the start of the October session and each renewal, using proportional representation of the groups.
When the first House of Councillors is established or elected after the dissolution of its predecessor, the President and the Board members are elected at the beginning of the session following the election and are re-elected at the start of the October session when one-third of the House is renewed.
The House of Councillors in the Constitution of July 29, 2011
Article 63 of the 2011 Constitution stipulates that the House of Councillors consists of a minimum of 90 and a maximum of 120 members, elected by indirect universal suffrage for six years, distributed as follows:
- Three-fifths of the members represent local collectivities. This component is divided among the regions of the Kingdom based on their respective populations and with equity between regions. One-third of this component is elected at each region level by the Regional Council from its members, while the remaining two-thirds are elected by an electoral college at the regional level by members of communal, prefectural, and provincial councils.
- Two-fifths of the members are elected in each region by electoral colleges composed of those elected to Professional Chambers and the most representative professional organizations of employers, as well as elected members at the national level by an electoral college composed of representatives of salaried workers.
The Speaker of the Chamber of Councillors, members of the Board, Presidents of Standing Committees, and their Bureaus are elected at the start of the legislature and again at the halfway point of the legislature, using proportional representation of the groups.