Article 27

Constitution and Competence

1 - OMD's general assembly is made up of all the dentists currently registered in the OMD.

2 - The competence of the general assembly shall include all matters not within the specific competence of the OMD's other ruling bodies.

Article 28

Meetings of the General Assembly

1 - The meetings of the general assembly shall be held to elect the OMD's ruling bodies at the end of each term, to discuss and approve the operating budget and to discuss and vote on the board of directors¿ annual report and accounts.

2 - The general assembly shall hold extraordinary meetings when justified by the OMD's higher interests.

3 - Among the higher interests mentioned in the previous paragraph are, among others:

a) the discussion of professional issues;

b) the discussion and approval of amendments to the statutes, in compliance with Article 8, paragraph 1;

c) the discussion and approval of the OMD¿s demise, in compliance with Article 8, paragraph 2;

d) the analysis and approval of the Code of Ethics;

e) an extraordinary election in case of vacancy of the ruling bodies, in accordance with these statutes.

Article 29

Ordinary General Meetings

1 - The meeting of the general assembly for the election of the ruling bodies shall be held in compliance with Article 18.

2 - The meeting for the discussion and approval of the board of directors¿ operating budget shall be held in December, prior to the year in question.

3 - The meeting for the discussion and approval of the board of directors¿ annual report and accounts shall be held in April, following the fiscal year in question.

Article 30

Extraordinary General Meetings

Extraordinary meetings of the general assembly shall be held on the date indicated in the respective order.

Article 31

Convening a Meeting

1 - Ordinary general meetings, as well as extraordinary meetings to appoint new authorities in the case of vacancy, are called by the chairman of the general assembly or, should this person be absent, by the vice-chairman.

2 - All the other extraordinary meetings shall be convened by the president of the OMD.

3 - The president of the OMD must call an extraordinary general meeting if so requested by the board of directors or by a fifth of all registered dentists, as long as the objective of the call is legitimate and for the sake of professional interests.

4 - The extraordinary general meeting concerned with the situation described in Article 28, paragraph c) must have the previous approval of the board of directors.

5 - Meetings shall be convened through advertisements containing the agenda, published in four daily newspapers of large circulation, one of Lisbon, one of Porto, one of Funchal and the fourth of Ponta Delgada, at least twenty days before the date of the meeting, which shall be held in the OMD's head office or in any other place specified in the call.

6 - In the case of meetings concerned with the discussion and approval of the operating budget or of the annual report and accounts, photocopies of these documents, together with the respective call, shall be sent to the home or business addresses of all dentists currently registered, at least twenty days before the date of the meeting.

7 - In the case of a meeting concerned with the election of the various ruling bodies, the ballot papers, together with the respective call, shall be sent to all the dentists currently registered, at least twenty days before the date of the meeting.

Article 32

Resolutions

1 - The general assembly shall pass all resolutions by simple majority, except in the cases mentioned in Article 28, no. 3, paragraphs b) and c), in which a majority of two-thirds and three-fourths, respectively, shall be required.

2 - The general assembly¿s resolutions shall only be valid if in accordance with the call formalities described in the previous Article and if concerned with issues within the sphere of its competence.

Article 33

Voting in General Meetings

1 - Voting in the meetings of the general assembly shall be non-compulsory and may not be cast by mail, except in the case referred to in Article 19.

2 - Voting by proxy shall be allowed through another dentist currently registered in the OMD.

3 - The voter by proxy shall send a letter to the chairman of the general assembly, with his or her signature witnessed by a notary public.

4 - In ordinary general meetings, registered dentists resident in the Autonomous Regions of Azores and Madeira shall be allowed to vote by mail.

Article 34

Implementation of the General Assembly's Resolutions

The general assembly¿s resolutions shall not be implemented when the expenses resulting from them are not pertinent within the operating budget or any approved extraordinary funds.

Article 35

The Board of the general Assembly

1 - The board of the general assembly shall be made up of the chairman, the vice-chairman, whose only duty is to replace the chairman in his absence, and two secretaries, appointed by the general assembly.

2 - In the absence of the chairman and the vice-chairman, the meeting shall be presided over by the secretary most senior in the practice of dentistry.

3 - The members mentioned in no. 1 shall be elected by the general assembly.

Article 36

Duties of the Board

1 - The chairman of the general assembly shall call and preside over the meetings, in compliance with these statutes.

2 - The secretaries shall write the minutes, to be read out and approved in the following general meeting.

3 - The vice-chairman shall perform the duties of the member that he or she is to replace.

Article 37

Opening of the General Meeting

Meetings of the General Assembly shall begin at a fixed time with two-thirds of the currently registered dentists, or with any number of attendants one hour later.