Art. 159 - The elected assemblies shall assume the function of control within its popular dimension.

Art. 160 - The Government shall present to each chamber of the Parliament a report on the use of budgetary credits for which it voted each financial year.

The financial year shall be closed, as far as it concerns Parliament, by a vote, by each of the chambers, of the financial year in question.

Art. 161 - Each of the two chambers of the Parliament may, within the framework of its prerogatives, institute, at any time, committees investigating affairs of general interest.

Art. 162 - The control institutions and bodies are in charge of checking the conformity of the legislative and executive action with the Constitution and verifying the conditions of use and management of material means and public funds.

Art. 163 - A Constitutional Council shall be instituted to see that the Constitution is respected.

The Constitutional Council shall also see to the due form of referendum operations, the election of the President of the Republic, and the legislative elections. It shall proclaim the results of these operations.

Art. 164 - The Constitutional Council shall be composed of nine (9) members: three (3) appointed by the President of the Republic among whom the President is included, two (2) elected by the People's National Assembly, two (2) elected by the Council of the Nation, one (1) elected by the Supreme Court of the Nation, one (1) elected by the Council of State.

Once elected or appointed, the members of the Constitutional Council shall cease any other mandate, function, responsibility or mission.

The President of the Republic shall appoint the President of the Constitutional Council for a single mandate of six (6) years.

The other members of the Constitutional Council shall fill a unique mandate of six (6) years and shall be renewed by half every three (3) years.

Art. 165 - In addition to the prerogatives explicitly bestowed upon it by other provisions of the Constitution, the Constitutional Council shall pronounce the constitutionality of treaties, laws and regulations, either through an opinion if these are not enforced or, otherwise, through a decision.

The Constitutional Council, called upon by the President of the Republic, shall express a compulsory opinion on the constitutionality of the organic laws following their adoption by the Parliament.

The Constitutional Council shall also decide the conformity of the rules of procedures of each of the two chambers of Parliament with the Constitution's accordance with the provisions of the above-mentioned paragraph.

Art. 166 - The Constitutional Council shall be called upon by the President of the Republic, the President of the People's National Assembly or by the President of the Council of the Nation.

Art. 167 - The Constitutional Council shall deliberate behind closed doors; its opinion or its decision shall be given within twenty (20) days following the date of referral.

The Constitutional Council shall define the rules of its functioning.

Art. 168 - When the Constitutional Council considers that a treaty, an agreement or a convention is not constitutional, its ratification cannot take place.

Art. 169 - When the Constitutional Council considers that a legislative or regulatory provision is not constitutional, this latter loses its effect from the date the decision is taken by the Council.

Art. 170 - An Audit Office shall be instituted with the task of controlling in posteriori the finances of the State, the territorial collectivities, and public services.

The Audit Office shall establish a yearly report which is addressed to the President of the Republic.

The law shall define the prerogatives, the organization, and the functioning of the Audit Office as well as the sanctions of its investigations.

CHAPTER II: Consultative institutions

Art. 171 - A High Islamic Council shall be instituted by the President of the Republic and shall be trusted, in particular, with:
- encouraging and promoting ijtihad;
- expressing its views in comparison with religious precepts on matters submitted to it;
- presenting a periodic report of activity to the President of the Republic.

Art. 172 - The High Islamic Council shall be composed of fifteen (15) members, including a president appointed by the President of the Republic among national personalities highly qualified in various fields of science.

Art. 173 - A High Security Council presided by the President of the Republic shall be instituted. Its task is to express views on all the issues related to national security.

The President of the Republic shall define the modes of organization and functioning of the High Security Council.

Constitution's Table of Contents

Part IV