§ 59. Legislative power shall be vested in the Riigikogu.
§ 60. The Riigikogu shall be comprised of one hundred and one members. Members of the Riigikogu shall be elected in free elections on the principle of proportional representation. Elections shall be general, uniform and direct. Voting shall be secret.
Every Estonian citizen who has attained twenty-one years of age and has the right to vote may be a candidate for the Riigikogu.
Regular elections of the Riigikogu shall be held on the first Sunday in March of the fourth year following the preceding Riigikogu election year.
Extraordinary elections of the Riigikogu shall be held in the cases prescribed in §§ 89, 97, 105 and 119 of the Constitution not earlier than twenty and not later than forty days after the elections are declared.
The procedure for election of the Riigikogu shall be provided by a law on election of the Riigikogu.
§ 61. The mandates of the members of the Riigikogu shall commence on the day the results of the elections are announced. The mandates of the members of the preceding Riigikogu shall terminate on the same day.
Before assuming his or her duties, a member of the Riigikogu shall take an oath of office to remain loyal to the Republic of Estonia and its constitutional order.
§ 62. A member of the Riigikogu shall not be bound by his or her mandate, nor bear legal liability for votes cast or political statements made in the Riigikogu or in any of its bodies.
§ 63. A member of the Riigikogu shall not hold any other public office.
A member of the Riigikogu shall be exempt from the duty to perform mandatory service in the defence forces during his or her mandate.
§ 64. The mandate of a member of the Riigikogu shall be suspended upon his or her appointment as a member of the Government of the Republic, and shall be restored upon release from his or her duties as a member of the Government.
The mandate of a member of the Riigikogu shall terminate prematurely:
- upon his or her assumption of another public office;
- upon the entry into force of a conviction by a court against him or her;
- upon his or her resignation, pursuant to a procedure provided by a law;
- if the Supreme Court decides that he or she is permanently incapable of performing his or her duties;
- upon his or her death.
Upon the suspension or premature termination of the mandate of a member of the Riigikogu, he or she shall be replaced by an alternate member, pursuant to a procedure provided by a law. An alternate member has all the rights and duties of a member of the Riigikogu.
The mandate of the alternate member shall terminate upon the restoration of the mandate of the member of the Riigikogu.
§ 65. The Riigikogu shall:
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adopt laws and resolutions;
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decide on the holding of referendums;
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elect the President of the Republic, in accordance with § 79 of the Constitution;
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ratify and denounce international treaties, in accordance with § 121 of the Constitution;
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authorise a candidate for Prime Minister to form the Government of the Republic;
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adopt the state budget and approve the report on its implementation;
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on the proposal of the President of the Republic, appoint the Chief Justice of the Supreme Court, the Chairman of the Supervisory Board of Eesti Pank, the Auditor General and the Chancellor of Justice to office;
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on the proposal of the Chief Justice of the Supreme Court, appoint justices of the Supreme Court to office;
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appoint members of the Supervisory Board of Eesti Pank;
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on the proposal of the Government of the Republic, decide on borrowing by the state and on the assumption of other pecuniary obligations by the state;
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issue statements, declarations and appeals to the people of Estonia, other states and international organisations;
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establish state decorations, and military and diplomatic ranks;
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decide on the expression of no confidence in the Government of the Republic, the Prime Minister or a minister;
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declare a state of emergency in the state, in accordance with § 129 of the Constitution;
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on the proposal of the President of the Republic, declare a state of war, and order mobilisation and demobilisation;
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resolve other affairs of state which the Constitution does not assign to the President of the Republic, the Government of the Republic, other state bodies or municipalities for decision.
§ 66. The first sitting of a new Riigikogu shall be held within ten days after the announcement of the results of the elections of the Riigikogu. The Riigikogu shall be convened for its first sitting by the President of the Republic.
§ 67. Regular sessions of the Riigikogu shall take place from the second Monday of January to the third Thursday of June, and from the second Monday of September to the third Thursday of December.
§ 68. Extraordinary sessions of the Riigikogu shall be convened by the President of the Riigikogu, on the proposal of the President of the Republic, the Government of the Republic, or not less than one-fifth of all members of the Riigikogu.
§ 69. The Riigikogu shall elect from among its members the President of the Riigikogu and two Vice-Presidents who shall organise the work of the Riigikogu pursuant to a law on the rules of procedure of the Riigikogu and a law on the internal rules of the Riigikogu.
§ 70. The quorum for the Riigikogu shall be provided by a law on the rules of procedure of the Riigikogu. In an extraordinary session, the Riigikogu shall have a quorum if more than one-half of all members of the Riigikogu are present.
§ 71. The Riigikogu shall form committees.
Members of the Riigikogu have the right to form parliamentary groups.
The procedure for the formation of committees and parliamentary groups, and their rights, shall be provided by a law on the rules of procedure of the Riigikogu.
§ 72. Sittings of the Riigikogu shall be public, unless the Riigikogu decides otherwise by a two-thirds majority.
Voting in the Riigikogu shall be public. Voting by secret ballot shall be held in the cases prescribed by the Constitution or by a law on the rules of procedure of the Riigikogu only upon the election or appointment of officials.
§ 73. Documents adopted by the Riigikogu shall be adopted by a majority of votes in favour, unless otherwise prescribed by the Constitution.
§ 74. Members of the Riigikogu have the right to address questions to the Government of the Republic and its members, to the Chairman of the Supervisory Board of Eesti Pank, the Governor of Eesti Pank, the Auditor General and the Chancellor of Justice.
The questions shall be answered at a sitting of the Riigikogu within twenty session days.
§ 75. The remuneration of members of the Riigikogu and restrictions on the receipt of other employment income shall be provided by a law, which may be amended in respect of the next Riigikogu.
§ 76. Members of the Riigikogu shall have immunity. A member can be prosecuted under criminal law only on the proposal of the Chancellor of Justice, and with the consent of the majority of all members of the Riigikogu.