Читать книгу The Constitution of the Czechoslovak Republic - Vaclav Joachim - Страница 8

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(Act of Parliament of 19. Dec. 1919 No 663 in the Code at Laws and Regulations, supplemented by the Act of 23 Jan. 1920 No. 44.)

Not only parliamentary elections but also all municipal and local elections take place on the basis of the Standing Lists of Voters (for the Senate with the restriction of age-26 years).

All citizens of the Czechoslovak Republic, irrespective of sex, who on the date of the publication of the lists have attained the age of 21 years and have resided in one polling district for the preceding three months and who have not been deprived of the franchise by a judgment of the courts or condemnation for some crime, have their names entered on the Standing List of Voters.

The lists are compiled and carefully kept up-to-date by a local election Committee which is set up for every polling district and is ​composed of the burgomaster, or a deputy nominated by him, as chairman, together with 4 to 8 assessors. These assessors (or deputy assessors if necessary) are appointed for a term of three years by the political Bureau of Control (a State office). In nominating the members of the Committee (or their deputies should it be necessary to appoint such in the course of the three years) care is taken that as far as possible all political parties shall be equally represented and regard paid to nomination proposals emanating from the political parties themselves.

Communities with less than 5000 inhabitants form a single electoral district and a separate list of voters is drawn up for it. Houses are entered thereon according to the order in which they are numbered in the community, commencing at the lowest number, and then the occupants of each house in alphabetical order.

Communities with more than 5000 inhabitants are divided by the above-mentioned Committee into several electoral districts. Voters have to supply particulars of their surname, Christian name, the date of their birth and their occupation.

The burgomaster has to submit the lists to public scrutiny for a period of eight week days twice in the year commencing on the 15^th of June and the 15^th of December respectively.

Every person has the right to look through the list, and to make copies and extracts so long as he does not hinder others from exercising the same right.

In communities where the population exceeds 5000 the lists, on the demand of any one citizen and at his cost, must be printed in good time and in sufficient numbers and issued not later than the first day of the term appointed for sending in claims and objections.

During the period in which the lists are on view objections may be presented in writing at the burgomaster’s office. Persons unable to write may make their objections orally. If the objection concerns the inclusion of a name entered on the list, the objection must be at once communicated to the voter affected who is allowed three days in which to file his answer at the burgomaster’s office.

The uttimate decision with regard to objections lies with the Revising Committee attached to the Bureau of Control, the chairman of which is an official of that Bureau while the members are 8 to 12 assessors nominated by the Chairman for 3 years from the ranks of the various political parties. The revised lists are exposed to public scrutiny for 8 days at the end of January and at the end of July.

Against the decisions of the Revising Committee an appeal lies to the Electoral Court [see below].The judgment of this latter Court, however, does not affect the matter at issue unless it be communicated to ​the burgomaster’s office either officially or by the party affected, at least ten days before the election takes place.

Elections take place—on the basis of the revised lists published at the end of January—between February 1 and July 31: on the basis of the revised lists published at the end of July, between August 1 and January 31.