Parliament of the Czech Republic

Parliament of the Czech Republic
Parlament České republiky
Coat of arms or logo
Type
Type
Houses – Senate
– Chamber of Deputies
Leadership
President of
the Senate
Milan Štěch, ČSSD
Since 24 November 2010
Jan Hamáček, ČSSD
Since 27 November 2013
Structure
Seats - 81 Senators
- 200 Deputies
Senate
 political groups
Chamber of
Deputies
 political groups
Elections
Two-round system
Proportional representation
Senate
 last election
 10–11 October 2014
17–18 October 2014
Chamber of
Deputies
 last election
 25–26 October 2013
Meeting place
Palaces in Malá Strana, Prague
Website
Senate
Chamber of Deputies
Czech Republic
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The Parliament (Czech: Parlament) is the legislative body of the Czech Republic, seated in Prague.

It consists of two chambers, both elected in direct elections:

Art. 15 of the Constitution stipulates its name as the "Parliament".[1] The Parliament exercises competences usual in parliamentary systems: it holds and passes bills, has the right to modify the Constitution, ratifies international agreements; if necessary, it declares war, approves presence of foreign military forces in the Czech Republic or a dispatch of Czech military forces abroad.

History

Session room of the Chamber of Deputies

The tradition of modern parliamentarianism in the Bohemian lands dates back to times of the Austrian Empire (and then Cisleithanian part of Austria-Hungary), where the Imperial Council (Reichsrat, Říšská rada) was created in 1861.

After proclamation of Czechoslovakia in 1918 its National Assembly (Národní shromáždění) undertook legislative duties both of the Imperial Council and State Diets (Bohemian, Moravian, Silesian).[2] In 1938–39 and between 1948–89 there existed a parliament within non-democratic regimes (semi-authoritarian or Communist regime, respectively). As a consequence of federalization of Czechoslovakia (1968), national councils of Czech and Slovak parts of the country were created.

The Chamber of Deputies keeps continuity with the Czech National Council (Česká národní rada), while the Senate was established in 1996 (with reference to the First Czechoslovak Republic one).

References

  1. ↑ http://www.hrad.cz/en/czech-republic/constitution-of-the-cr.shtml
  2. ↑ Balík, S.-Hloušek, V.-Holzer, J.-Šedo, J.: Politický systém českých zemí 1848-1989. Brno 2006, p. 81.
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