Article 42

Constitution and Election

1 - The board of directors shall be made up of the president, four members and five regional representatives.

2 - The secretary-general of the OMD is the president of the board of directors.

3 - The regional representatives shall be: one from Porto, one from Lisbon, one from Coimbra, one from Ponta Delgada and one from Funchal.

4 - On the first session of each year, the president and the four members shall choose, among themselves, a vice-president, two secretaries and a treasurer.

5 - All the elements of the board of directors shall be elected by the general assembly.

Article 43

Operation

1 - The board of directors shall meet in the location chosen by its president.

2 - The meetings of the board of directors shall be held whenever called by its president and at least once a month.

3 - The board of director's resolutions shall only be valid when at least three of its voting members, including the president or the vice-president, are present.

4 - All decisions shall be on the basis of simple majority; in the case of a tie, the president, or, in the latter's absence, the vice-president, shall have a decisive vote.

Article 44

Competence

1 - It is within the competence of the board of directors to:

a) analyse and define the plan of activities for the following year, as proposed by the president of the OMD;

b) analyse the operating budget proposed by the president of the OMD, elaborate a budgetary plan and put it forward to the general assembly for discussion and approval;

c) put forward to the general assembly the annual report and accounts for its discussion and approval;

d) authorise the various collegial bodies to carry out the required budgetary expenditure, and obtain extraordinary funds when necessary;

e) deliberate the creation of national delegations or any other form of representation in the country as well as of regional bodies, and elaborate and approve their respective regulations;

f) write the electoral regulations;

g) decide on the registration of dentists within 30 days after their application has been submitted, and deliberate on the recognition and equivalence of degrees, in compliance with these statutes and the legislation in force;

h) elaborate and approve the regulations regarding speciality degrees;

i) request the president of the OMD to perform the necessary actions concerning the OMD's endorsement or legal assistance to dentists who may need them;

j) discuss the requests for resignation or temporary suspension of the president of the OMD, the secretary-general or the members of the board of directors;

l) discuss the removal from office of the president of the OMD, the secretary-general or the members of the board of directors;

m) deliberate the substitution of the president of the OMD, the secretary-general or the members of the board of directors, in compliance with these statutes;

n) express their opinion on any issues as requested by the secretary-general;

o) establish the fees to be paid by the dentists registered in the OMD;

p) establish the fees to be paid for the issue of any documents or the rendering of services by the OMD, whether or not provided by the OMD's ruling bodies, namely concerning the registration of dentists;

q) collect and allot the OMD's revenue and manage its expenditure, as well as administer any donations or legacies in favour of the OMD accepted by its president, except when destined to services or institutions directed by an autonomous body;

r) alienate or mortgage assets, and obtain loans;

s) establish transport or any other allowances to be provided to all the members of the OMD's ruling bodies;

t) re-evaluate all the resolutions sent back by the president of the OMD and take a new stand regarding them, should they not maintain their original position;

u) remove those who request it from the register;

v) discuss all those subjects concerning the practice of dentistry, the dentist's interests and the management of the OMD which do not fall within the competence of other bodies, as well as perform all the duties that are in compliance with the regulations and the legislation in force.

2 - The board of directors may ask any of its members to perform any of the above-mentioned duties which, because of their nature, are not incompatible with individual practice.

Article 45

Voting Members of the Board of Directors

1 - All the voting members of the board of directors are entitled to vote, write the reports requested by the secretary-general and perform the duties required of them, as well as offer their resignation or ask their temporary suspension from office, in accordance with these statutes.

2 - The president of the board shall call and preside over the meetings and cast the decisive vote in the case of a tie.

3 - The vice-president shall replace the president in his or her absence.

4 - The secretaries shall write the minutes.

5 - The treasurer shall keep the ledger up to date.

Article 46

Non-voting Members of the Board of Directors

1 - The regional representatives shall not be entitled to vote in the meetings of the board of directors.

2 - The above-mentioned representatives may:

a) attend, if willing to do so, the meetings of the board of directors;

b) put forward proposals;

c) ask the president of the OMD to provide information about the discharge of his or her duties, as long as there is sufficient reason, in view of the ethics and professional conduct committee, to suspect the fairness or the legitimacy of the president's actions;

d) offer their resignation to the board of directors or request temporary suspension from office;

e) perform the duties specifically imposed on them.