18.1 Meetings
A. National Congress
i. The National Congress of the Party shall be held once in every two (2) years at a date, venue and time to be recommended by the National Executive Committee and approved by the National Executive Board. Timely statutory notices shall be given to the Independent Electoral Commission and Party members who are eligible to attend shall be given at least fourteen (14) days’ notice.
ii. Without prejudice to Article 18.1 (A) (i) of this Constitution, the National Executive Committee may summon an emergency National Congress at any time provided at least seven (7) days’ notice of the meeting shall be given to all members who are eligible to attend.
iii. The provisions regulating the meetings of the National Congress shall apply mutatis mutandis to Regional, Constituency and Ward Congresses/ meetings.
B. National Executive Committee
i. The National Executive Committee shall meet every quarterly or at any time as decided upon by the Party Leader and Chairperson or at the request of at least 10 members of the National Executive Committee provided that not less than three (3) days’ notice is given for the meeting to be summoned.
ii. Without prejudice to Article 18.1 (B) (i) of this Constitution, the National Executive Board may summon an emergency National Executive Committee meeting at any time, provided that at least a day’s (24 hours) notice of the meeting is given to all those entitled to attend.
iii. Decisions at the meeting of the National Executive Committee shall be by simple majority of members present and voting.
iv. The provisions regulating the meetings of the National Executive Committee shall apply mutatis mutandis to Regional, Constituency and Ward Executive Committee meetings.
C. National Executive Board
i. The National Executive Board shall meet at least once every month on the request of the Party Leader and Chairperson.
ii. Decisions at the meetings of the National Executive Board shall be by simple majority of Members present and voting.
iii. Without prejudice to the provision of Article 18.1(C)(i) the meeting of the National Executive Board may be summoned on a request made in writing by one-third of the Members of the Board at any time, provided that at least three (3) days’ notice of the meeting shall be given to all those entitled to attend.
D. Regional Executive Committee
i. The Regional Executive Committee shall meet at least quarterly (every three months).
ii. Decisions at the meetings of the Regional Committee shall be by simple majority of Members present and voting.
iii. Special or emergency meetings of the Regional Executive Committee shall be held as and when necessary.
E. Constituency Executive Committee
i. The Constituency Executive Committee shall meet at least quarterly or at any other time as decided upon by the Chairman or at the request of one-third of its members provided that not less than two days’ notice is given for the meeting.
ii. Without prejudice to the provisions of Article 18.1(E)(i) Constituency Executive Committee may summon an emergency meeting at any time provided that at least 24 hours’ notice is given to the members who are eligible to attend.
iii. Decisions at the meetings of the Constituency Executive Committee shall be by simple
majority of members present and voting.
F. General Rules for the Conduct of Meetings
i. Every motion and the amendment of any motion shall be seconded before discussion.
ii. A motion for amendment of another motion may be withdrawn at any time at the request of the mover.
iii. In urgent or emergency situations, the chairman of a meeting shall have the discretion to dispense or not with the requirement to give notice of motion.
iv. A member shall indicate a desire to speak by a show of one hand sitting, and shall rise to speak only when called upon to do so by the chairman.
v. Any member who deviates from these rules or from the agenda of a meeting shall immediately be called to order by the chairman or by another member raising a point of order.
vi. The chairman of a meeting shall have the power to ask any erring or offending member to leave the meeting.
vii. No member shall leave a meeting except with the permission of the chairman.
viii. Voting on any subject at a meeting shall be by show of hand or voice or by secret ballot as the chairman may decide.
ix. Except as otherwise expressly provided for in this Constitution, decisions of any organ of the Party shall be taken by a simple majority of the members present and voting.
x. Any elected officer at any level, who absents himself from a properly constituted meeting for three consecutive times without reasonable cause for doing so shall be liable to disciplinary action.
xi. Deliberations at a meeting shall be strictly on the subject matter(s) listed on the agenda of the meeting provided that general issues may be presented or discussed at the end of the main agenda except upon a duly notified motion, a fresh deliberation or debate on a matter already concluded shall not be permitted.
18.2 Quorum
Except as otherwise expressly provided for in this Constitution, one-third of the members of any organ of the Party shall constitute a quorum for GDC meetings at all levels.