The standing committees are made up at the beginning of the legislature. Their members are renewed each year. There are 12 standing committees within the National People’s Assembly which denomination and competence are fixed by articles 27 to 39 of the rules of procedure.

     The number of members ranges between thirty (30) and fifty (50) at most for the committee of finances and budget and between twenty (20) and thirty (30) at best for the other committees.
 

2° Distribution of seats – appointment of members:

At the beginning of the legislature and of each year during the renewing of committees, the presidents of the groups are invited to transmit to the Bureau the list of their members for the standing committees, which is established in the limits of quotas fixed to them beforehand. The quotas are determined for each of the standings committees according to the numerical importance of the parliamentary group in relation to the maximum number of members fixed by the committee, with the offer of a supplementary seat to the group which rest is over 0.50.

The MPs who do not belong to a group will fill in the seats which remained vacant after such distribution by taking into account their wishes.

 As soon as the committees are set up, they are summoned to be installed. They proceed, during that meeting, to the designation of theirs bureaus made up of a president, a vice – president and a rapporteur. The sharing out of the functions within the bureau, among the parliamentary groups is made according to an agreement agreed upon by the presidents of groups meeting with the bureau upon summon from the Speaker of the National People’s Assembly.

 Once the list is fixed, it is submitted to the committee for approval. In case of disagreement, these positions are filled according to the modalities fixed in the same case for the election of the bureau of the National People’s Assembly.

 3° Functioning:     

    The standing committees cannot examine a bill or a law proposal only upon submission by the Speaker of the National People’s Assembly. But they may meet, in the case of an agenda which is communicated in prior to the Speaker of the National People’s Assembly, to debate on questions falling within their competence.

The committees hold a meeting as soon as they are referred to, according to a calendar they generally adopt during their first meetings.

  The committees are summoned by:
 

	The Speaker of the National People’s Assembly during the inter-sessions.
	The chairman of the committee during the sessions.

The committees cannot have a meeting when the National People’s Assembly is sitting, except if need be and after the agreement of the bureau of the National People’s Assembly.

The quorum is not necessary to hold meetings. It may sometimes be required to validate the votes. Indeed, the committee may deliberate whatever the number of the present members is, but it may however vote only with the presence of all its members. When such condition is not fulfilled within six (06) hours. The vote is therefore valid whatever the number of present members is.

The committees’ deliberations are recorded on brief minutes drawn up after every meeting. Such document mentions the committee’s deliberations and decisions and has a confidential nature.

The works of the committee are brought to the public and MPs knowledge by:

	The press communiqués
	The information bulletins of the National People’s Assembly.

 The committee’s conclusions on the text submitted to it are enclosed:
 

	In the preliminary report which sanctions the first examination phase of the text. Such document states the committee’s analyses and conclusions as well as the amendments it proposes.
	In the complementary report where are enclosed all the tabled amendments. Such report shows mainly and in detail, the motivated conclusions of the committee on those amendments, and the amendments it has reintroduced to the text, during the second examination phase.