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2. PARTY CONSTITUTION AND
CONSTITUTIONAL STRUCTURES
THE PARTY CONSTITUTION
The Party’s constitution serves as the law of the party’s structures and internal procedures.
The constitution can be changed by the National Conference which is the party’s highest
decision-making body. In the Party’s constitution one will find the party’s ideological
foundation, its values and principles. The constitution also states the procedures for
election of officials and leadership as well as how members can disqualify themselves or
be expelled from the party.
NATIONAL CONFERENCE
The national conference is the party’s highest decision-making body. It determines the
broad policies and the party’s direction. The national conference also elects the national
leadership. The delegates at the conference are selected by lower structures or directly by
the members of the party. The national conferences are often only held every couple of
years, most commonly every two to five years.
NATIONAL EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE (NEC)
The National Executive committee is the party’s highest decision making body
between the national conferences. The NEC can set policy and programs in line with what
the national conference has decided. The NEC consists of the party’s key officials: the
chairperson, deputy chairperson, secretary general, deputy secretary general and treasurer.
There are also a number of elected members which can differ from party to party but
usually represent the party’s different regions. Often the chairpersons of the party’s youth
and women’s leagues sit on the NEC.
In some countries where the Social Democratic Party and the trade unions are in alliance,
the unions will also be represented.
NATIONAL WORKING COMMITTEE (NWC)
The NEC can within itself elect a smaller working committee to take care of the day to day
management of the party. The NWC meets in between the NEC meetings in some parties.
Other parties elect an executive board directly at the national conference.