Federal Assembly (Czechoslovakia)

The Federal Assembly (Czech: Federální shromáždění, Slovak: Federálne zhromaždenie) was the federal parliament of Czechoslovakia from January 1, 1969 to the dissolution of Czechoslovakia on December 31, 1992. It was Czechoslovakia's highest legislative institution.

Federal Assembly of the
Czech and Slovak Federative Republic

Federální shromáždění ČSFR  (Czech)
Federálne zhromaždenie ČSFR  (Slovak)
Legislative body in Czechoslovakia
Type
Type
HousesHouse of Nations
House of the People
History
Established1969
Disbanded1992
Preceded byNational Assembly
Succeeded by
Seats350 members (1969–1990)
  • 150 House of Nations
  • 200 House of the People

300 members (1990–1992)

  • 150 House of Nations
  • 150 House of the People
Elections
Direct non-competitive elections (1969–1990)
Direct competitive proportional representation (1990–1992)
Last election
5–6 June 1992
Meeting place
Federal Assembly, Prague

Chapter 3 of the 1960 Constitution of Czechoslovakia recognized it as "the supreme organ of state power and the sole statewide legislative body."

Constitution and practice

The Federal Assembly was divided into two equal chambers, the Chamber of the People (Sněmovna lidu; other translation House of the People) and the Chamber of the Nations (Sněmovna národů; other translation House of Nations). The Chamber of the People reflected a system of proportional representation: in 1986 it included 134 deputies from the Czech Socialist Republic and 66 deputies from the Slovak Socialist Republic. The Chamber of Nations had 150 members, 75 from each republic. Deputies were selected through popular elections and served five year terms of office; all 350 served concurrently. However, before the Velvet Revolution — and thus, in all but the last two assemblies — there was only one party to vote for, National Front, and it was impossible to give a preferential vote.

After an election each chamber met to select its own Praesidium consisting of three to six members. Together, the chambers elected the forty-member Presidium of the Federal Assembly, which served as the legislative authority when the assembly was not in session. A joint session of the Federal Assembly selected its chairman and vice chairman.

The Federal Assembly met in regular session at least twice a year, in the spring and fall. Legislation presented to the assembly at these sessions had to be approved by both chambers and in some cases required a majority vote by both the Czech and the Slovak deputies in the Chamber of the Nations.[1]

Constitutionally, the Federal Assembly was vested with great lawmaking powers, and had exclusive jurisdiction in all matters of foreign policy, fundamental matters of domestic policy, the economic plan, and supervision of the executive branch of government.

Before 1989, however, as in other Communist states, its function was largely confined to rubber-stamping measures placed before it by the Communist Party of Czechoslovakia (KSČ). Czechoslovak Laws passed under Communism were drafted in advance by the Presidium of the KSČ and presented to the Federal Assembly, which almost always approved them unanimously. The democratic centralist principle extended to elections as well. Voters were presented with a single list from the National Front (Národní fronta), an all-encompassing patriotic organization dominated by the Communists. Great pressure was brought to bear on citizens to turn out at the polls, and those who dared to cross out the name of the single Front-approved candidate on the ballot risked severe reprisals. Under these circumstances, elections were almost always a formality, with the Front list winning well over 99 percent of the vote.

Building

The Assembly building was originally a stock exchange, designed by Jaroslav Rössler and completed in 1938. The space proved insufficient, and after a design competition Karel Prager was appointed to add an extension. He added a modern glass, metal and stone structure around and over the top of the original building.[2] The project was both expensive and controversial.[3]

Between 1995 and 2008, The Federal Assembly Building housed the headquarters of Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty. As of 2015, it houses the Federal Assembly National Museum.

Prager's design has since been copied elsewhere, for example in what is now the Bank of Georgia headquarters in Tbilisi.[4]

Name changes
Name Native name Year
Federal Assembly of
the Czechoslovak Socialist Republic		 (Czech: Federální shromáždění Československé socialistické republiky)
(Slovak: Federálne zhromaždenie Československej socialistickej republiky)		 1969–1990
Federal Assembly of
the Czechoslovak Federative Republic		 (Czech: Federální shromáždění Československé federativní republiky)
(Slovak: Federálne zhromaždenie Česko-slovenskej federatívnej republiky)		 1990
Federal Assembly of
the Czech and Slovak Federative Republic		 (Czech: Federální shromáždění České a Slovenské Federativní Republiky)
(Slovak: Federálne zhromaždenie Českej a Slovenskej Federatívnej Republiky)		 1990–1992

Presidents of the Federal Assembly
  • Peter Colotka January 30, 1969 - April 28, 1969
  • Alexander Dubček April 28, 1969 - October 15, 1969
  • Dalibor Hanes October 15, 1969 - December 9, 1971
  • Alois Indra December 9, 1971 - November 29, 1989
  • Stanislav Kukrál December 12, 1989 - December 28, 1989
  • Alexander Dubček December 28, 1989 - June 25, 1992
  • Michal Kováč June 25, 1992 - December 31, 1992

See also

References
  1. Karel Hvížďala: POLITIKA: Česko a volby prezidentů, Neviditelný pes, 19. 12. 2007
  2. Raymond Johnston (22 October 2015). "The Federal Assembly". #ThrowbackThursday. Prague Post. Retrieved 30 November 2015.
  3. Kristina Alda (1 September 2009). "Changing the structure". Prague Daily Monitor. Retrieved 30 November 2015.
  4. "Pragerův federál provokuje dodnes (Prague Federal Building still controversial)" (in Czech). Portal of Prague. 26 February 2011. Retrieved 24 March 2014. Includes gallery of images.
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