ELECTIONS HELD IN 1992
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Chamber: | |
Chamber of the People | |
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5 June 1992 6 June 1992 |
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Elections were held for all the seats in Parliament following the normal expiry of the term of the transitional Federal Assembly elected for a shortened mandate of two years in June 1990. This Assembly also had constituent powers. | |
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The election dates were set on 3 March 1992 by the Federal Assembly presidium. Simultaneous polling for the Czech and Slovak National Councils (regional legislatures) was also scheduled.
The previous general election, in June 1990, had given the Deputies a transitional two-year mandate to prepare a new Constitution. However, its adoption was delayed by continuous disagreement over the delimitation of powers between the federal authorities and the constituent republics. It was ultimately agreed that negotiations should be adjourned until after the June 1992 pool. The election campaign lasted 23 days. The main points of each party platform were its attitude to the process of the country’s economic transformation to a free-market system, social policy and, especially in the Slovak Republic, independence and sovereignty for the region. Main contestants included the four parties members of the outgoing government coalition in the Czech Republic: the Civic Democratic Party (ODS), led by federal Finance Minister Vaclav Klaus, in alliance with the Christian Democratic Party (KDS), the Civic Democratic Alliance and the Christian Democratic Union. Prominent Slovak challengers were the Movement for Democratic Slovakia (HZDS), led by Mr. Vladimir Meciar, the Party of the Democratic Left (SDL) and the Slovak National Party (SNS). Generally speaking, candidates in the wealthier more industrialized Czech region favoured a rapid move away from a centralized economic system as well as preservation of the federation, while those in Slovakia, facing higher unemployment and other economic problems, opposed fast-paced reform and pushed for autonomy. If successful, Mr. Meciar vowed Slovak sovereignty. Altogether some 35 parties or groups vied for the Federal Assembly’s 300 seats. Polling day was marked by a high voter turnout. The results bore out the sharply differing views that had previously surfaced, and handed down contradictory mandates to those elected. While in the Czech Republic right-wing parties (especially ODS-KDS) met with considerable success, the majority of seats in the Slovak Republic went to left-oriented groups or those with Assembly both blocs were strong enough to impede the other side’s initiatives. Communist groups fared relatively well, coming in second in both Republics, but the former governing party in the Slovak Republic, the Christian Democratic Movement (KDH), incurred losses and became an opposition party. In this deadlocked context, Czechoslovak Premier-designate Klaus and Mr. Meciar agreed on 20 June, to the formation of a national caretaker Government and on preparations for the transformation of the Czech and Slovak Republics into two separate countries. The pact called for the formation of a federal caretaker Cabinet of no more than 10 members; it is headed by Mr. Jan Strasky (ODS). |
STATISTICS
Round no 1 (June 1992): Elections results | |
Number of registered electors | 11,515,699 |
Voters | 9,750,970 (84.67%) |
Blank or invalid ballot papers | 167,522 |
Valid votes | 9,583,436 |
Round no 1: Distribution of seats | |||
Political Group | Total | ||
Civic Democratic Party (ODS)-Christian Democratic Party (KDS) coalition | 48 | ||
Movement for Democratic Slovakia (HZDS) | 24 | ||
Coalition Left Bloc (KSCM, DL, CSFR) | 19 | ||
Party of Democratic Left (SDL) | 10 | ||
Czechoslovak Social Democratic Party | 10 | ||
Slovak National Party (SNS) | 6 | ||
Association for Republic - the Republican Party of Czechoslovakia | 8 | ||
Christian Democratic Movement (KDH) | 6 | ||
Christian Democratic Union - Czechoslovak People’s Party | 7 | ||
Social Liberal Union (LSU) | 7 | ||
Hungarian Coalition (MEM) | 5 |
Distribution of seats according to sex: | |
Men: | 275 |
Women: | 25 |
Comments: | |
These data refer to the whole Federal Assembly |
Distribution of seats according to age: | ||
Below 30 years | 14 | |
31-40 years | 34 | |
41-50 years | 61 | |
51-60 years | 29 | |
Over 60 years | 12 |
Copyright � 1992 Inter-Parliamentary Union