Elections in Czechoslovakia (WFAC)

Elections in Czechoslovakia are held for government officials at the federal, state, and local levels. Czechoslovakia is a federal parliamentary republic with a bicameral legislature where public officials in the legislative and executive branches are either elected by the citizens (directly or indirectly) or appointed by elected officials. Referendums may also be called to consult the Czechoslovak citizenry directly on a particular question, especially one which concerns amendment to the Constitution.

At the federal level, the head of state – the president – is elected directly by the citizens for a five-year term.. All members of the federal legislature, the Federal Assembly (Czech: Federální shromáždění; Slovak: Federálne zhromaždenie), are elected directly by the citizens for a four-year term. The Chamber of Deputies (Poslanecká sněmovna) is the lower house and has 300 members, all elected by party-list proportional representation. The Senate (Senát) represents the four States of Czechoslovakia at the federal level and has 150 members (75 for Bohemia, Moravia and Silesia, 75 for Slovakia), elected in single seat-constituencies directly by the citizens.

There are many elected offices at state (Czech: země, Slovak: zeme, "Land") level, each state having at least an elective premier and legislature. There are also elected offices at the local level, in regions (Czech and Slovak: kraje; singular: kraj), districts (Czech and Slovak: okresy, singular: okres), towns and municipal boundaries.

Czechoslovakia uses a two-round plurality voting system for the presidential elections, first-past-the-vote system for the Senate, and an open party-list proportional representation system for all other elections. The proportional representation system uses the D'Hondt method for allocating seats.

Elections are usually held from 08:00 to 20:00 on Saturdays.

Voting rights and restrictions

All elections in Czechoslovkia are based on the principle of universal suffrage. Citizens who will have attained age 18 by election day and older may exercise the right to vote in elections at all levels of government. Any citizen aged 21 or over can stand as a candidate for the Chamber of Deputies or the European elections, while the minimum age to stand as a candidate for the Senate and presidential elections is 40. Any citizen aged 18 or over can become a regional or municipal councilor.

Citizens of other European Union member states with a permanent residence in Czechoslovakia may vote in European Union elections and in municipal elections.

Citizens may lose their voting rights if they have been stripped of their legal capacities by a court, usually on the basis of mental illness.

Level of elections

Federal level

Federal assembly elections

The Federal Assembly (Czech: Federální shromáždění; Slovak: Federálne zhromaždenie) is bicameral and comprises the Chamber of Deputies, the lower chamber, and the Senate, the upper chamber. Elections to the Senate and the Chamber of Deputies are held cocurrently for four-year terms.

Chamber of Deputies elections

The Chamber of Deputies, the lower house of the Federal Assembly, has 300 members who are elected using the party-list proportional representation system.

Senate elections

The Senate (Czech and Slovak: Senát), the upper house of the Federal Assembly, has 150 members and represents the four states of Czechoslovakia at the federal level. Slovakia has 75 members while the Czech lands have 75 members (Bohemia has 50, Moravia has 19 and Silesia has 6). Each senator is elected for a four-year term in single-seat constituencies with the first-past-the-post system. Any citizen aged 40 or over can become a senator. A candidate for the Senate does not need to be on a political party's ticket (unlike in the Chamber of Deputies).

See also

• Czechoslovakia