After World War II, the political system in Czechoslovakia was greatly affected by the arrival of a Soviet-style Communist regime, as it was in the other countries of central and eastern Europe. The system of power was distorted. In effect this imbalance meant that the three branches of power necessary for democratic development - executive, legislative and judicial - were substituted by a unified Communist power. Its power was based on the constitution and for forty years it ruled all layers of social and political life throughout the country with the help of oppressive institutions. After February 1948, the Communist Party became the only autonomous political entity. It allowed a few other parties to exist within the so-called National Front; however, these parties held no real power and were created to provide an outward image of Czechoslovakia as a democratic state.
After the revolutionary events of November 1989 which brought about the downfall of the Communist regime, the entire country faced the uneasy task of resuming its pre-Communist traditions and building a democratic political system. A wide diversity of political parties were well-established even before the break-up of Czechoslovakia on December 31, 1992. The constitution of the Czech Republic, which became valid on the day of the birth of the new state, explicitly defined civil rights, the relationship between the executive and legislative branches of power, and the independence of the judiciary.
THE MOST IMPORTANT CONSTITUTIONAL INSTITUTIONS AND THEIR MUTUAL RELATIONSHIPS
The President
Elected for a term of five years by a joint session of both
chambers of Parliament, the President may serve a maximum of two
successive terms in office. The President is the Supreme
Commander of the Armed Forces. Presidential power is limited; the
most important is the right to veto any bill which has already
been passed by Parliament, with the exception of constitutional
bills. This power is void in times of constitutional or other
political crises.
Parliament
The Parliament consists of two chambers - the Chamber of Deputies
and the Senate. It passes all bills valid in the territory of the
Czech Republic and expresses approval of important international
treaties; i.e. those concerning human rights and basic liberties,
political treaties, and general economic treaties. It decides the
most important acts of state, such as declaring war or approving
the deployment of foreign armies on Czech soil.
Chamber of Deputies
The Chamber of Deputies is made up of 200 deputies who are
elected for a term of four years (the last elections took place
in June 1996). The President can dissolve the Chamber of Deputies
in cases outlined in the constitution. Political lobbies, ongoing
parliamentary commissions and committees operate in the
historical building which houses the chamber.
Senate
The Senate is made up of 81 senators elected for six-year terms.
Every two years one-third of the Senate’s seats come up for
re-election. The Senate cannot be dissolved.
Parliamentary Activity:
A resolution by a parliamentary chamber is passed by a clear
majority of deputies or senators present. A constitutional bill
or an international treaty must be passed by a 60% majority of
the total number of deputies and senators present.
The Legislative Process:
Bills are sent to the Chamber of Deputies. The right of
legislative initiative is possessed by a deputy, a group of
deputies, the Senate, the Cabinet or local or regional cabinet
representatives.
A bill passed by the Chamber of Deputies is sent to the Senate
which has the power to veto it, send it back to the Chamber of
Deputies with amendments, or table the bill.
Elections to the Legislative Bodies:
Elections to the Chamber of Deputies and the Senate take place by
secret ballot on the basis of general, equal and direct voting.
The Chamber of Deputies is elected on the basis of proportional
representation. Political parties must obtain five percent of the
popular vote in order to gain seats in the chamber. The Senate is
elected on the basis of majority vote.
All citizens of the Czech Republic over 18 years of age have the
right to vote for representatives in both chambers of Parliament.
Candidates for the Chamber of Deputies must be over 21 years of
age, while candidates for the Senate must be over 40 years of
age.
The Government
The Government is the supreme body of executive power. It
Consists of the Prime Minister, Deputy Prime Minister and
Ministers, and coordinates activities of the ministries and the
central bodies of the state administration and manages the state
administration throughout the territory of the state. The
Government has exclusive legislative initiative in terms of the
state budget. A list of ministries can be found under the heading
‘Addresses’
The Supreme Audit Office
The Supreme Audit Office is an independent controlling agency
which audits the management of state property and the
implementation of the state budget. It audits the ways in which
the resources of the state budget of the Czech Republic are
created and used.
The Czech
National Bank
This is the central state bank of the Czech Republic.
Based on law, the main goal of the bank is to preserve the
stability and purchasing power of the currency, and while
pursuing this goal, the bank is not dependent on the cabinet of
the Czech Republic. The president and executives of the bank are
appointed by the Head of State. The Constitutional Court
The Constitutional Court was set up to protect constitutional
rights. It consists of 15 judges who are appointed by the
President - with the consent of the Senate - for a term of ten
years. In their decisions judges are bound only by constitutional
laws, international treaties, and by a law designating the
proceedings of the constitutional court.
The Supreme Court
The Supreme Court is the supreme judicial body in all matters
within the jurisdiction of the courts, except those within the
jurisdiction of the constitutional court or the supreme
administrative court. The judges are bound only by law and they
are in a position to decide whether other legal regulations are
in accordance with the law.
In 1989, after overthrowing the one-party government, Czechoslovak citizens found new freedom - the right to freely form political parties and movements according to one's political convictions. Very soon after the fall of the totalitarian regime, a colourful variety of political parties was established and provided the foundations for a more stable political climate. Sixteen political parties and movements participated in the 1996 elections, six of them obtained 5% or more of the popular vote in the Czech Republic.
In the 1996 elections, the three strongest government coalition parties (ODS, KDU - ESL, ODA), that had done so well in the 1992 elections, obtained 99 mandates in the Chamber of Deputies and 52 mandates in the Senate.
Obcanská demokratická strana
(ODS) - Civic Democratic Party:
This conservative party holds 39 seats in the Chamber of Deputies
and 30 in the Senate. Its chairman is the former
Prime Minister Václav Klaus, and it remains the most popular
right-wing party in the Czech Republic.
Obcanská demokratická aliance
(ODA) - Civic Democratic Alliance:
The ODA is the primary non-denominational political party of the
democratic right advocating economic liberalisation. It has 13
seats in the Chamber of Deputies, 7 seats in the Senate and four
ministers in the cabinet. Krestansko-demokratická unie -
Ceskoslovenská strana lidová (KDU-CSL)
The Christian Democratic Union - Czechoslovak People’s
Party:
The KDU-CSL is the successor to the Catholic-oriented People's
Party which was active between the wars. In the Communist era it
existed as a powerless decoration of the totalitarian regime.
After 1989 the party underwent a complicated internal
transformation, and at present it declares itself to be a
conservative party with a Christian social orientation. The
KDU-CSL holds 18 seats in the Chamber of Deputies, 13 seats in
the Senate and four ministers in the cabinet.
Ceská strana sociálni
demokratická (CSSD) - Czech Social Democratic Party:
The CSSD is the successor to a party established in 1878 and
disbanded by the Communists in 1948.
It emphasises social policies and critiques of the concept and
process of economic reform. It holds 61 seats in the Chamber of
Deputies and 25 seats in the Senate.
Komunistická strana Cech a
Moravy - The Communist Party
The Communist Party of Czechoslovakia failed to transform itself
into a modern left-wing party of the kind which exists in
neighbouring countries. It is the last of the former totalitarian
parties in Central Europe to retain the name
‘Communist.’ Splinter groups have broken off from the
party because of internal divisions, leading to the establishment
of several new parties. The Communist Party of Bohemia and
Moravia (KSCM) holds 22 seats in the Chamber of Deputies and 2
seats in the Senate.
Sdruzení pro republiku - Republikánská strana Ceskoslovenska (SPR-RSE) - The Assembly for the Republic - Republican Party of Czechoslovakia Founded on December 26, 1989, the SPR-RSCis an extremely nationalistic right-wing party similar to the German Republicans and the French Republican Party. The party now holds 18 seats in the Chamber of Deputies.
The remaining two seats in the Senate are held by one candidate of the right-wing DEU ( Democratic Union) and one independent candidate.
To learn more:
Broklová, Eva : Czechoslovak Democracy (Political System of
CSR1918-1938), Praha, Slon, 1992 Traditions & Present
Problems
of Political Culture.
Czech Philosophical Studies I., edited by M.Vejra3ka, M.Bednáo,
Council
for Research in Values & Philosophy, 1994
Wolchik S. L.: Czechoslovakia in Transition: Politics, Economics
and
Society, London, Pinter, 1991