1- Elections                                                          The Parliament comprises two houses that are mandated by the nation. The 325 members of the House of Representatives are elected for a five-year term by direct universal suffrage. The House of Counsellors members are elected for a nine-year term by indirect universal suffrage: three fifths of its members are elected at each region by an electoral college composed of representatives of local councils while the remaining two fifths are elected in each region by electoral colleges composed of elected members of professional chambers and members elected at the national scale by an electoral college composed of wage -earners representatives.

The Parliament holds two sessions. The constitution stipulates that an extraordinary session might be convened at the request of the absolute majority of one of the houses or at the request of the government. Sessions are public and each house drafts its own statutes whose constitutionality is systematically controlled by the Constitutional Council.
The speaker of the House of Representatives is elected at the legislature opening and in the April session and at the third year of the legislature. The speaker of the House of Counsellors is elected at the opening of October's session and at the renewal of the House. 

2-THE BUREAU                                                       

Being the administrative and political organ of Parliament, the bureau can be considered as the "executive" body of the houses. The House of Representatives' bureau members are elected according to the proportional representation of groups for one year and half and those of the House of Counsellors bureau every three years, after each renewal. Each house has a bureau composed of "vice speakers in charge of assisting and replacing the speaker, questors in charge of handling internal administrative affairs and secretaries who control votes and write minutes". The electoral system allows a representation of all political parties. 

3-THE COMMISSIONS                                          

An effort of rationalization regarding the number of commissions has been carried out. From 12 commissions before 1997, there are only six left of them now. Meanwhile, the number of each commission members increased. In accordance with the statutes, commission members are elected by proportional representation of groups, which is an electoral technique that allows the representation of elected members from the opposition in each house.
Ministers are entitled to attend the commission meetings and may be assisted by commissioners chosen by them. 

4-PARLIAMENTARY GROUPS                               

Parliamentary groups play an important part in organizing the houses' work. The groups are only mentioned in the constitution when speaking about the election of some bodies. They are regulated by the statutes of each house. Two conditions are set for the creation of a parliamentary group, a minimum of 12 elected members and referring the list of members to the House speaker as soon as he is elected. This latter condition does not imply any legal or other appreciation by the speaker.

The number required to form a group does not enjoy consensus. For most of the groups' officials, the required number is too low and contributes to worsening the scattering of political forces by pointing their sometimes-artificial nature. There is a largely shared wish to have the required number increased in order to reduce the number of groups and obtain a more coherent political basis.