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Parliament of Croatia
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The Parliament of Croatia (Croatian: Hrvatski sabor) is the unicameral legislature of Croatia. Under the terms of the Croatian Constitution, the Sabor represents the people and is vested with the legislative power.
The Sabor is composed of between 100 and 160 members, elected on the basis of direct universal and equal suffrage by secret ballot, for a term of 4 years. Members' mandate can be extended only during a war. Most representatives come from the Croatian mainland counties, but there are also some minority and diaspora seats. Currently the members' number is 153. 140 of them are from the counties, 8 from the minorities and 5 from abroad. The Sabor is presided by a President (sometimes referred to as Speaker or Chairman), who is assisted by at least one deputy president (usually four or five).
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[edit] Powers of the Parliament
The Croatian Parliament (Sabor):
- decides on the enactment and amendment of the Constitution
- passes laws
- adopts the state budget
- decides on war and peace
- passes documents which express the policy of the parliament
- adopts the Strategy of national security and the Strategy of defense of the Republic of Croatia
- realizes civil control over the armed forces and the security services of the Republic of Croatia
- decides on alternations of the borders of the Republic of Croatia
- calls referendums
The building of the Croatian Parliament
Great hall of the Croatian Parliament - carries out elections, appointments and reliefs of office, in conformity with the Constitution and law
- supervises the work of the Government of the Republic of Croatia and other holders of public authority responsible to the Croatian Parliament, in conformity with the Constitution and law
- grants amnesty for criminal offenses
- conducts other affairs as specified by the Constitution
The Croatian Parliament (Sabor) makes decisions by majority votes provided that a majority of representatives are present at the session.
Laws which regulate the rights of national minorities, decision of crossing the borders or acting over the borders by the armed forces, altering the borders are passed by the Croatian Parliament by a two-thirds majority vote of all representatives.
Laws which elaborate the constitutionally defined human rights and fundamental freedoms, the electoral system, the organization, authority and operation of government bodies and the organization and authority of local and regional self-government are passed by the Croatian Parliament by a majority vote of all representatives.
Each representative of the Croatian Parliament, the parliamentary clubs of representatives and the working bodies of the Croatian Parliament, and the Government of the Republic of Croatia have the right to propose laws.
Members of the Croatian Parliament have the right to ask the Government of the Republic of Croatia and individual ministers questions.
At least one tenth of the representatives of the Croatian Parliament may submit an interpellation on the operation of the Government of the Republic of Croatia or some of its individual members.
The Croatian Parliament may form commissions of inquiry regarding any issue of public interest.
[edit] Composition
- Croatian Democratic Union (HDZ) - 66
- Parliamentary club of the Social Democratic Party - 56
- Social Democratic Party of Croatia (SDP) - 55
- independent - 1
- Croatian People's Party-Liberal Democrats (HNS) - 7
- Croatian Peasant Party (HSS) - 6
- Croatian Party of Rights (HSP) - 1
- Istrian Democratic Assembly (IDS) - 3
- Croatian Democratic Assembly of Slavonija and Baranja (HDSSB) - 3
- Croatian Social Liberal Party (HSLS) - 2
- Croatian Pensioners' Party (HSU) - 1
- Independent Democratic Serbian Party (SDSS) - 3
- Parliamentary club of National Minorities - 8
- Party of Democratic Action of Croatia (SDA HR) - 1
- Independent Democratic Serbian Party (SDSS) - 3 [1]
- independent - 4
[edit] Historic background
The Croat nobles agreed to form two Croatian states after settling in the Illyrian territory in the 7th century AD, after the great migration of the Slavs. Their meeting and agreement over the issues important for the people is considered the foundation of Croatian parliament.
Croatian counts and dukes later established a country and elected a king among themselves in the 9th and 10th century, but the legend says that they always made decisions as a group.
After Croatia decided to elect Hungarian king as King of Croatia in 1102, these nobles formed a real parliament and their decisions had significant influence in the state politics. In fact, when the Kingdom of Hungary lost its leader after the Battle of Mohács in 1526 when the king Louis II of Hungary died, the Croats gathered at Parliament on Cetin and chose to maintain the personal union with Hungary.
In 1712, the Croatian Parliament decided on the so-called Pragmatic Sanction, thus taking the side of Maria Theresa, supporting her to become queen of Hungary.
In the light of the Revolutions of 1848, Sabor decided to renew some of the country autonomy by exerting its power to all of the old Croatian regions and having the same ban govern them. In 1868 they negotiated a bargain with the Hungarians that regulated the ties between the countries in the new environment of Austria-Hungary.
In 1918 the Parliament decided to split off Croatia from Hungary, and join the State of Slovenes, Croats and Serbs. However, the country's entry to the Kingdom of Serbs, Croats and Slovenes that ensued was never ratified by Sabor, which was decommissioned.
In 1942, an unelected Croatian State Parliament was held in the Independent State of Croatia. The post-World War II parliament developed from the council of anti-fascists (ZAVNOH) formed in 1943. It functioned as the Parliament of the Socialist Republic of Croatia (as a part of Socialist Federal Republic of Yugoslavia), until 1990 when Croatia regained full independence.
[edit] Bicameral system 1990-2001
Under the original terms of the 1990 Constitution, the Croatian Parliament was bicameral, comprising the directly elected Zastupnički Dom (Chamber of Deputies) and the Županijski Dom (Chamber of the Counties)[2]. Such a chamber - which held a suspending veto power over legislation - was composed of 3 members for each of the 21 districts of the Country, regardless of their population. In addition, it included five members appointed by the President of the Republic and the former Heads of State themselves (similar to the Italian Senate). The Chamber of the Counties was abolished in 2001 with a formal constitutional amendment[3] and the Chamber of Deputies is now known simply as the Sabor.
[edit] List of Presidents (Speakers) of the Parliament
Since Croatian independence which was proclaimed on June 25, 1991 and entered in force fully on December 8, 1991.
- Žarko Domljan May 30, 1990 - September 7, 1992
- Stjepan Mesić September 7, 1992 - May 24, 1994
- Nedjeljko Mihanović May 24, 1994 - November 28, 1995
- Vlatko Pavletić November 28, 1995 - February 2, 2000
- Zlatko Tomčić February 2, 2000 - December 22, 2003
- Vladimir Šeks December 22, 2003 - January 11, 2008
- Luka Bebić January 11, 2008 - Present
[edit] List of Presidents (Speakers) of the Chamber of Counties of the Parliament
[edit] Elections for the Parliament
[edit] Last election
| Parties and coalitions | Votes | % | Seats | % | +/– | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Croatian Democratic Union (Hrvatska demokratska zajednica) | 907,743 | 36.6 | 66 | 43.1 | ±0 | |
| Social Democratic Party of Croatia (Socijaldemokratska partija Hrvatske) | 775,690 | 31.2 | 56 | 36.6 | +22 | |
| "Green-Yellow Coalition" (Zeleno-žuta koalicija) | Croatian Peasant Party (Hrvatska seljačka stranka) | 161,814 | 6.5 | 6 | 3.9 | –4 |
| Croatian Social Liberal Party (Hrvatska socijalno liberalna stranka) | 2 | 1.3 | ±0 | |||
| Alliance of Primorje-Gorski Kotar (Primorsko-goranski savez) | 0 | 0.0 | –1 | |||
| Democratic Party of Zagorje (Zagorska demokratska stranka) | 0 | 0.0 | — | |||
| Zagorje Party (Zagorska stranka) | 0 | 0.0 | — | |||
| Croatian People's Party – Liberal Democrats (Hrvatska narodna stranka - Liberalni demokrati) | 168,440 | 6.8 | 7 | 4.6 | –4 | |
| Istrian Democratic Assembly (Istarski demokratski sabor/Dieta democratica Istriana) | 38,267 | 1.5 | 3 | 2.0 | –1 | |
| Croatian Democratic Assembly of Slavonija and Baranja (Hrvatski demokratski sabor Slavonije i Baranje) | 44,552 | 1.8 | 3 | 2.0 | +3 | |
| Coalition | Croatian Party of Pensioners (Hrvatska stranka umirovljenika) | 101,091 | 4.1 | 1 | 0.7 | –2 |
| Democratic Party of Pensioners (Demokratska stranka umirovljenika) | 0 | 0.0 | — | |||
| Croatian Party of Rights (Hrvatska stranka prava) | 86,865 | 3.5 | 1 | 0.7 | –7 | |
| Coalition | Democratic Centre (Demokratski centar) | 184,477 | 7.4 | 0 | 0.0 | –1 |
| Green Party – Green Alternative (Zelena stranka – Zelena Alternativa) | 0 | 0.0 | — | |||
| Others | 0 | 0.0 | –6 | |||
| Independent Democratic Serbian Party (Samostalna demokratska srpska stranka) (national minority list) | Enrolments and vote totals do not include voters for ethnic minority representatives. | 3 | 2.0 | ±0 | ||
| Party of Democratic Action of Croatia (Stranka Demokratske Akcije Hrvatske) (national minority list) | 1 | 0.7 | ±0 | |||
| Other national minority representatives | 4 | 2.6 | ±0 | |||
| Total | 2,483,452 | 100.0 | 153 | 100 | — | |
| Source: Adam Carr's Election Archive | ||||||
[edit] Past elections
- Croatian parliamentary election, 1990
- Croatian parliamentary election, 1992
- Croatian parliamentary election, 1995
- Croatian parliamentary election, 2000
- Croatian parliamentary election, 2003
[edit] See also
[edit] External links
[edit] Notes
- ^ Normal representative can be a member of only one deputy club, but representative of national minorities can be the member of the Deputy club of his party and the member of Deputy club of National Minorities if that is acceptable for his party.Hrvatski sabor - English, Hrvatski sabor - Croatian.
- ^ Hrvatski sabor
- ^ Sénat - International - Senates of the world - Chili
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