(DOWNLOAD) "The Transition from Bicameral to Unicameral Parliament: Learning from the Experience of Western Democracies (Romanian POLITICS: A PERMANENT Transition?) (Report)" by Revista de Stiinte Politice * Book PDF Kindle ePub Free
eBook details
- Title: The Transition from Bicameral to Unicameral Parliament: Learning from the Experience of Western Democracies (Romanian POLITICS: A PERMANENT Transition?) (Report)
- Author : Revista de Stiinte Politice
- Release Date : January 01, 2009
- Genre: Politics & Current Events,Books,
- Pages : * pages
- Size : 285 KB
Description
States come out from the communist regime at the beginning of the '90 of the last century were driven by necessity on a long and difficult way in order to find their calling for democracy and solve the difficulties of the past. The adoption of market economy's legislation, political pluralism, understanding and applying fundamental human rights, as well as the change of past mentalities asked for long strategies and mostly novelty governmental programs. The majority of Parliaments from Central and South-Eastern Europe have confronted themselves with functioning problems because of insufficient political and parliamentary experience. The difficulties have their specificity depending on every state circumstances. Bicameralism proved for certain states, including Romania, at least inefficient, if not even useless, in most cases of laws adoption. The inefficient system of parliamentary commissions and the conflict of interests created the phenomenon generally named corruption. Many citizens do no respect anymore the institution of Parliament because of delays, uncovered promises and especially the image made by mass-media. Fundamental difficulties exist in the relations between the government and the Parliament. In many cases, such as Romanian case, the government exceeds the limits of a proper legislative delegation, issued by the Parliament. According to Constitution, the Romanian state is organized based on the principle of the separation and balance of powers--legislative, executive and judicial--within the framework of constitutional democracy. The Parliament carries out the legislative power, having a bicameral structure. The Parliament of Romania is formed of the Chamber of Deputies and the Senate which are elected in constituencies, by universal, equal, direct, secret, and freely expressed suffrage, on the basis of a list system and independent candidatures, according to the principle of proportional representation. The Chamber of Deputies is composed of 334 members, and the Senate of 137 members. The legally constituted organizations of citizens belonging to national minorities have the right to a Deputy mandate, in case they could not obtain in election at least one Deputy or Senator mandate, if they have obtained throughout the country a number of votes equal to at least 5 per cent out of the average number of votes validly expressed throughout the country for the election of one Deputy. The members of the two chambers have similar attributions and rights; this is the main reason for which all laws have to be passed by both chambers (1), fact that leads to equalitarian bicameralism, capable to make the legislative procedure more difficult (2).