Czech Republic Government 1997

Country name
conventional long form: Czech Republic
conventional short form: Czech Republic
local long form: Ceska Republika
local short form: Ceska Republika

Data code EZ

Government type parliamentary democracy

National capital Prague

Administrative divisions 8 regions (kraje, kraj - singular); Jihocesky, Jihomoravsky, Praha,Severocesky, Severomoravsky, Stredocesky, Vychodocesky, Zapadocesky

Independence 1 January 1993 (from Czechoslovakia)

National holiday National Liberation Day, 8 May; Founding of the Republic, 28 October

Constitution ratified 16 December 1992; effective 1 January 1993

Legal system civil law system based on Austro-Hungarian codes; has not accepted compulsoryICJ jurisdiction; legal code modified to bring it in line with Organizationon Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE) obligations and to expunge Marxist-Leninistlegal theory

Suffrage 18 years of age; universal

Executive branch
chief of state: President Vaclav HAVEL (since 26 January 1993)
head of government : Prime Minister Vaclav KLAUS (since NA June 1992); Deputy Prime MinistersIvan KOCARNIK (since NA June 1992), Josef LUX (since NA June 1992), JosefZIELENIEC (since NA June 1992)
cabinet: Cabinet appointed by the president on the recommendation of the primeminister
elections : president elected by Parliament for a five-year term; election lastheld 26 January 1993 (next to be held NA January 1998); prime minister appointedby the president
election results: Vaclav HAVEL elected president; percent of parliamentary vote - NA

Legislative branch bicameral Parliament or Parlament consists of the Senate (81 seats;members are elected by popular vote to serve staggered two-, four-, and six-yearterms) and the Chamber of Deputies or Snemovna Poslancu (200 seats; members are elected by popular vote to serve four-year terms)
elections : Senate - last held 15-16 and 22-23 November 1996 (next to be held NANovember 1998 - to replace/re-elect 20 senators serving two-year terms); Chamberof Deputies - last held 31 May-1 June 1996 (next to be held NA May 2000)
election results : Senate - percent of vote by party - NA; seats by party - governing coalition(ODS 32, KDU-CSL 13, ODA 7), opposition (CSSD 25, KCSM 2, DEU 1, independent1); Chamber of Deputies - percent of vote by party - NA; seats by party -governing coalition (ODS 68, KDU-CSL 18, ODA 13), opposition (CSSD 61, KCSM22, SPR-RSC 18)

Judicial branch Supreme Court, chairman and deputy chairmen are appointed by the president;Constitutional Court, chairman and deputy chairmen are appointed by the president

Political parties and leaders
governing coalition : Civic Democratic Party or ODS [Vaclav KLAUS, chairman]; Civic DemocraticAlliance or ODA [Michael ZANTOVSKY, chairman]; Christian Democratic Union-CzechPeople's Party or KDU-CSL [Josef LUX, chairman]
opposition: Czech Social Democrats or CSSD - left opposition [Milos ZEMAN, chairman];Communist Party or KSCM - left opposition [Miroslav GREBENICEK, chairman];Assembly for the Republic or SPR-RSC - extreme right radical [Miroslav SLADEK,chairman]; Democratic Union or DEU [Ratibor MAJZLIK, chairman]

Political pressure groups and leaders Czech-Moravian Chamber of Trade Unions; Civic Movement

International organization participation Australia Group, BIS, CCC, CE (guest), CEI, CERN, EBRD, ECE, EU (applicant),FAO, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICFTU, ICRM, IDA, IFC, IFRCS, ILO, IMF, IMO, Inmarsat,Interpol, IOC, IOM, ISO, ITU, NACC, NSG, OECD, OSCE, PCA, PFP, UN, UNCTAD,UNESCO, UNIDO, UNMOP, UNOMIG, UNPREDEP, UNTAES, UPU, WEU (associate partner),WFTU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WToO, WTrO, ZC

Diplomatic representation in the US
chief of mission: Ambassador Alexander VONDRA
chancery: 3900 Spring of Freedom Street NW, Washington, DC 20008
telephone: [1] (202) 274-9101, 9102
FAX: [1] (202) 966-8540
consulate(s) general : Los Angeles

Diplomatic representation from the US
chief of mission: Ambassador Jenonne R. WALKER
embassy : Trziste 15, 11801 Prague 1
mailing address: Unit 1330, APO AE 09213
telephone: [420] (2) 5732-0663
FAX: [420] (2) 5732-0920

Flag description two equal horizontal bands of white (top) and red with a blue isoscelestriangle based on the hoist side (almost identical to the flag of the formerCzechoslovakia)

NOTE: The information regarding Czech Republic on this page is re-published from the 1997 World Fact Book of the United States Central Intelligence Agency. No claims are made regarding the accuracy of Czech Republic Government 1997 information contained here. All suggestions for corrections of any errors about Czech Republic Government 1997 should be addressed to the CIA.