The New Parliaments of Central and Eastern Europe by David M. Olson & Philip Norton

Author:David M. Olson & Philip Norton [Olson, David M. & Norton, Philip]
Language: eng
Format: epub
ISBN: 9780714647159
Goodreads: 13753370
Publisher: Routledge
Published: 1996-05-01T00:00:00+00:00

TABLE 9

LIST OF COMMITTEES IN THE NATIONAL COUNCIL OF THE SLOVAK REPUBLIC (1994)

Source: Political Structure VI. 1994.

Members used to be placed on committees according to party ratio, their education and occupation. In interviews most members declared that the selection of individual deputies for different committees was decided at meetings of party clubs. Proposals of parliamentary clubs used to be accepted by the floor usually without changes.

After the 1994 election a new parliamentary majority composed of the HZDS, the SNS and the ZRS (the Association of Workers in Slovakia) used two possibilities provided by the current Act on Legislature Procedures to change the composition of committees. First, the above act does not exactly stipulate the way committees are to be composed; second, although parliamentary clubs nominate their members to sit in committees, the floor has to approve the nominations. Due to the common vote of the HZDS, the SNS and the ZRS in the plenary session, the original proposals of parliamentary clubs have been changed and the new coalition has a majority in ten out of 11 parliamentary committees (the committee’s structure has been maintained in the 1994 Parliament). Compared to the composition of committees in the former parliament, the number of members of the Committee for Environment and Ecology increased from nine to 19, as most of the opposition deputies were shifted to this committee without considering their professional background and interest. Numbers of deputies in other, more important committees were reduced.

Paragraph 38 of the Act on the Legislature’s Procedures defines the committees as ‘initiating and controlling bodies of the National Council’, mainly during the time when the parliament is not in session. Among their powers the following are crucial: consideration of bills, international agreements, submission of own drafts of bills, consideration of administrative policies, including reports of ministers, and complaints of citizens, organisations and state administration. It seems that deputies agree with such powers of the committees, but they wish to exercise more power over the cabinet (see Table 10).

TABLE 10

THE MOST IMPORTANT FUNCTION OF PARLIAMENTARY COMMITTEES

...IS ...SHOULD BE

N % N %

Check on Government 9 9.3 27 27.8

Preparing Legislation 74 76.3 57 58.8

Demands of Groups 10 10.3 11 11.3

Other 3 3.1 2 2.1

No Opinion 1 1.0 - -

Source: see note 2.

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