Parliamentary republic
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
A parliamentary republic or parliamentary constitutional republic is a form of a republic which operates under a parliamentary system of government (a system with no clear-cut branches).
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[edit] The power of parliament
In contrast to a parliamentary republic and the semi-parliamentary system, the head of state usually does not have broad executive powers as an executive president would, because many of those powers have been granted to a "head of government" (usually called a prime minister). However, the head of government and head of state may form one office in a parliamentary republic (such as South Africa and Botswana), but the president is still elected in much the same way as the prime minister is in most Westminster systems. This usually means that they are the leader of the largest party or coalition of parties in parliament.
In some instances, the President may legally have executive powers granted to them to undertake the day-to-day running of government (as in Finland) but by convention they either do not use these powers or they use them only to give effect to the advice of the parliament and/or head of government. Some parliamentary republics could therefore be seen as following the semi-presidential system but operating under a parliamentary system.
[edit] List of current Parliamentary republics
| Country | Formerly | Parliamentary republic adopted | Head of state elected by |
|---|---|---|---|
| One-party state | 1991 | Parliament, by three-fifths majority | |
| One-party state | 1955 | Direct, by second-round system | |
| Presidential republic (Part of Pakistan) | 1971 | Parliament | |
| Constitutional monarchy (Commonwealth realm) | 1966 | Parliament | |
| One-party state | 1947 | Directly, by second-round system | |
| One-party state (Part of Yugoslavia) | 1991 | Directly, by second-round system | |
| One-party state (Part of Czechoslovakia) | 1993 | Parliament, by majority | |
| British overseas territory | 1978 | Parliament, by majority | |
| Military junta (Occupied by Indonesia) | 1999 | Directly, by second-round system | |
| One-party state (Part of Soviet Union) | 1992 | Parliament, by two-thirds majority | |
| One-party state | 1991 | Parliament, by two-thirds majority | |
| Constitutional monarchy (Part of Russian Empire) | 1919 | Directly, by second-round system | |
| One-party state | 1949 | Federal assembly (Parliament and state delegates), by absolute majority | |
| Military junta | 1975 | Parliament, by majority | |
| One-party state | 1990 | Parliament, by absolute majority | |
| Constitutional monarchy (Part of Denmark) | 1944 | Direct, by transferable vote | |
| Constitutional monarchy (Commonwealth realm) | 1950 | Parliament and state legislators, by single transferable vote | |
| One-party state | 2005 | Parliament, by two-thirds majority | |
| Constitutional monarchy (Commonwealth realm) | 1949 | Direct, by single transferable vote | |
| Protectorate (Part of British Mandate of Palestine) | 1948 | Parliament, by two-thirds majority | |
| Constitutional monarchy | 1946 | Parliament, by majority | |
| Protectorate | 1979 | Citizens | |
| One-party state (Part of Soviet Union) | 1991 | Parliament | |
| Protectorate (French mandate of Lebanon) | 1941 | Parliament | |
| One-party state (Part of Soviet Union) | 1990 | Direct, by second-round system | |
| One-party state (Part of the Yugoslavia) | 1991 | Directly, by second-round system | |
| Constitutional monarchy (Commonwealth realm) | 1974 | Parliament, by majority | |
| UN Trust Territory (Part of Trust Territory of the Pacific Islands) | 1979 | Parliament | |
| Constitutional monarchy (Commonwealth realm) | 1992 | Parliament, by majority | |
| UN Trust Territory (Part of Trust Territory of the Pacific Islands) | 1986 | Parliament | |
| One-party state | 1949 | Parliament | |
| One-party state (Part of Yugoslavia) | 1992 | Directly, by second-round system | |
| Australian Trust Territory | 1968 | Parliament | |
| One-party state | 1990 | Directly, by second-round system | |
| Military junta | 1976 | Directly, by second-round system | |
| Territory of New Zealand | 2007 | Parliament | |
| Constitutional monarchy (Part of Malaysia) | 1965 | Directly, by second-round system | |
| One-party state (Part of Czechoslovakia) | 1993 | Parliament (before 1999)
Directly, by second-round system (since 1999) |
|
| One-party state (Part of Yugoslavia) | 1991 | Directly, by second-round system | |
| Constitutional monarchy (Commonwealth realm) | 1961 | Parliament, majority | |
| One party Military Dictatorship | 1987 | Parliament | |
| Military junta (Occupied by France) | 1802 | Parliament [2] | |
| Constitutional monarchy (Commonwealth realm) | 1976 | Parliament | |
| Constitutional monarchy (Ottoman Empire) | 1923 | Direct (since 2007, previously by parliament) | |
| Constitutional monarchy (Commonwealth realm) | 1980 | Parliament and regional council presidents, by majority | |
| Presidential republic | 2008 | Directly, by second-round system |
[edit] List of former Parliamentary republics
| Country | Year became a Parliamentary republic | Year status changed | Changed to | Status changed due to |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1961 | 1963 | Presidential system | Referendum | |
| 1891 | 1925 | Presidential system | Referendum | |
| 1870 | 1940 | Vichy France and Free France | German invasion (World War II) | |
| 1946 | 1958 | Semi Presidential republic (French Fifth Republic) | Political instability | |
| 1987 | 2006 | Military junta | Military coup (2006) | |
| 1970 | 1980 | Semi Presidential republic | Constitutional amendment | |
| 1956 | Presidential system | Constitutional amendment | ||
| 1963 | 1979 | Presidential system | Constitutional amendment | |
| 1972 | 1978 | Presidential system | Constitutional amendment | |
| 1963 | 1966 | Presidential system | Suspension of the constitution |
[edit] Notes
- ^ In Bangladesh, a Caretaker government takes over for three months during parliamentary elections. The Caretaker government is headed by a Chief adviser (the last Chief Justice to retire), and a group of neutral, non-partisan advisers chosen from the civil society. During this time, the president has jurisdiction over the Ministry of defense and the Ministry of foreign affairs.
- ^ There is neither a prime minister nor a president of Switzerland. The President of the Swiss Confederation is merely primus inter pares in the Swiss Federal Council, the seven-member executive council which constitutes the government as well as the head of state of Switzerland.

