What is Act No. 13 / 1954 Coll.?

Act No. 13 / 1954 Coll., on National Committees — National Committees Act.

When it became Act No. 13 / 1954 Coll. effectiveness?

Act No. 13 / 1954 Coll. became effective 17.05.1954.

Is Act No. 13 / 1954 Coll. still valid?

Yes, Act No. 13 / 1954 Coll. is still valid and effective.

Act No. 13 / 1954 Coll. - National Committees Act

13.

Law

of 3 March 1954

national committees.

The National Assembly of the Czechoslovak Republic decided on the following Act:

Oddíl 1.

Local authorities of state.

§ 1.

(1) In regions, counties and municipalities, the local authorities of the State authorities are the national committees.

(2) The National Committees are the authorities of the working people. They organise the creative forces of workers in such a way that the lives of all our working citizens are increasingly richer and happier. They acquire, persuade, mobilise and organise all citizens of their district to participate actively in the economic and cultural construction of the state, in the development and flowering of the Republic, in ensuring the socialist welfare of workers and in joint efforts to maintain peace among nations.

§ 2.

(1) In the counties, local authorities of state are regional national committees, in the counties of district national committees, in the municipalities of urban and local national committees, in the capital of Prague and in Bratislava are central national committees, in Prague, Bratislava and in regional cities also district national committees.

(2) The municipal national committees are set up at the seat of the regional national committees and are set up as regional national committees. The government may determine that the municipal national committee directly manages the activities of local national committees in certain surrounding municipalities.

(3) In the cities in which the municipal national committee is located, the regional national committee may create urban districts in which the district national committees operate.

(4) A local national committee may also be set up for several municipalities by decision of the Regional National Committee. Before a decision is taken, the Regional National Committee must establish the opinion of the participating municipalities.

§ 3.

(1) National Committees are elected by working people. The people send their best representatives to the national committees, who are worthy of becoming representatives of the people, and who guarantee that they will perform their tasks properly.

(2) 1 member per 7,000 inhabitants is elected to the regional national committees, 75 members are elected in regions up to 525,000.

(3) A member shall be elected to the Regional National Committees for every 1,000 inhabitants of 1; 35 members are elected in counties up to 35,000 people and 60 members are elected in counties over 60,000.

(4) 1 member shall be elected to the municipal national committees for at least 100 inhabitants and not more than 500 inhabitants according to the size of the city; 300 members are elected in cities over 150,000 inhabitants.

(5) For local national committees and district national committees, 1 member shall be chosen for at least 50 inhabitants and not more than 200 inhabitants according to the size of the municipality (district); 9 or 11 members are selected in municipalities up to 400 inhabitants, between 400 and 600 inhabitants 12 members in municipalities (districts) over 40,000 members are selected.

(6) One member is elected to the central national committee of the capital city of Prague for every 4,000 inhabitants. One member is elected to the national district committees in the capital of Prague for every 500 inhabitants; 35 members are selected in circuits up to 17.500 and 150 members are selected in circuits over 75,000.

(7) A member shall be elected to the Central National Committee of Bratislava for every 1,500 inhabitants. A member shall be elected to the District National Committees in Bratislava for every 500 inhabitants; 50 members are selected in circuits up to 25,000 inhabitants.

(8) A more detailed identification of the number of members of the national committees and the way in which elections are carried out is laid down in the Law on National Committees.

Oddíl 2.

Territorial administrative units.

§ 4.

(1) The territory of the Czechoslovak Republic is divided into regions, the regions are divided into counties and the counties are divided into municipalities. The current layout of the territorial districts is not amended by this law.

(2) There is a need for law to create or abolish a region or to substantially change its territory or to change the seat of the Regional National Committee; other changes in the territory of the regions may be made by the Government. By government regulation, counties may be created or cancelled or their territory may be substantially changed and the seat of the district national committees may be changed. Other changes in the territory of the counties are carried out by the Regional National Committees. The Regional National Committees also create and abolish municipalities and change their borders; Before the decision is taken, the Regional National Committee must establish the opinion of the participating municipalities.

(3) The provisions on changes to the territory of the counties apply mutatis mutandis to the cities in which the municipal national committee is situated.

Oddíl 3.

Prague capital.

§ 5.

(1) The central national committee of the capital city of Prague is built on a par with the regional national committee and is subordinate to the government. In the city districts of Prague, the district national committees are based on a regional national committee.

(2) The territory of the capital of Prague consists of a separate territorial unit.

(3) In order to significantly change the territory of the capital city of Prague, the law is needed; Other changes in the territory of the capital city of Prague are carried out by the government.

(4) Government regulations may create, cancel or significantly modify Prague city districts; other amendments shall be made by the Central National Committee, which shall, before the decision is taken, establish the opinion of the participating District National Committees.

Oddíl 4.

Bratislava and High Tatras.

§ 6.

(1) The Central National Committee of the City of Bratislava is equal to the Regional National Committee and is subordinate to the Board of Authors. In the city districts of Bratislava there are district national committees, built on the same as the district national committee.

(2) The territory of Bratislava constitutes a separate territorial unit.

(3) The Slovak National Council Act is needed to substantially change the territory of Bratislava; other changes in the territory of Bratislava shall be carried out by the Board of Authors.

(4) By order of the Board of Authors, the City Circuits of Bratislava may be created, cancelled or substantially altered; other amendments shall be made by the Central National Committee, which shall, before the decision is taken, establish the opinion of the participating District National Committees.

§ 7.

For the territory of the High Tatras, due to its spa importance, a municipal national committee is set up, which is directly managed by the board of delegates. The scope and organisation of the municipal national committee in the High Tatras and its territory shall be laid down by the Slovak National Council.

Oddíl 5.

A connection to people.

§ 8.

(1) Every citizen shall have the right to contact the National Committee or its member or to advise the National Committee and to receive a report on the handling within a reasonable time.

(2) The National Committees work in close contact with the workers of their respective districts. The national committees and their members shall consult the citizens directly in addressing more important issues and in carrying out their tasks; convene public meetings, meetings of excellent staff and such. National committees learn from the experience of workers, use and develop their initiative and involve them in the work of national committees as many as possible.

(3) It is an inalienable right for citizens to control the work of national committees and to make criticisms of their work. National committees are obliged to pay close attention to this criticism, to respond to any substantive criticism and to use it to improve their activities.

(4) National committees shall consist of and report regularly to voters from their activities.

Oddíl 6.

Tasks and activities of national committees.

§ 9.

(1) The basic task of the national committees is to build and consolidate, according to the guidelines of governments in cities and villages, the socialist order and to take care of the well-being of man in general. The national committees are primarily concerned with ensuring that the normal needs of the workers' lives are met as fully as possible. They are concerned with increasing the cultural level of the people by constantly improving their living conditions, in particular by improving housing and health facilities and the conditions for youth education and by improving all facilities serving the working people.

(2) Ensuring this task obliges the national committees to organise and manage economic, cultural and social construction in their area, in particular:

organise, manage, plan and control the economy of local importance, ensure continuous improvement of local production and provide municipal services to the ever greater satisfaction of the population;

take care of the use of all reserves on their section, in particular the unused production possibilities and sources of raw materials, and ensure full employment of the local population,

ensure the planned maintenance and construction of public facilities serving the population, the maintenance and construction of residential property and the improvement of the services of health facilities,

they are good managers, they provide for initiatives, particularly from local sources, funding to carry out their tasks, draw up the budget and monitor its economic performance,

ensure the continuous development and increase of agricultural production, and at the same time strengthen and assist single agricultural cooperatives economically and organically and provide assistance to small and medium-sized farmers;

take care of supplying the population with all kinds of food and industrial goods, improving the trade network and carrying out tasks in the field of the purchase of agricultural products,

look after the economic and cultural boom and the rise of their territory,

ensure favourable conditions for the implementation of the national economy's state plan, educate citizens to a new relation to work and promote the development of socialist competition,

cooperate with central and other authorities and bodies and businesses, establishments and organisations and assist them in the performance of their tasks;

take care of workers' health and the development of physical education and sport,

participate in the protection of peaceful building work against both external and internal enemies and contribute to the consolidation of the defence of the Republic,

conscientiously maintain the laws, regulations and resolutions of the government and other regulations and raise citizens in a spirit of respect for legal order,

protect socialist ownership and lead citizens to the gentle and conscientious treatment of national property.

(3) National committees shall monitor and facilitate the performance of all public authorities and other bodies within their territory.

§ 10.

(1) The national committees shall meet regularly at their meetings, namely:

central and regional national committees at least four times a year,

district and urban national committees as well as district national committees in the capital of Prague and Bratislava at least six times a year,

district and local national committees at least once a month.

(2) If at least a quarter of the members of the national committee or the national higher-level committee or its advice so request and, as regards central and regional national committees, the Government shall be convened by an extraordinary meeting of the national committee.

(3) The meetings of the national committee shall be convened by its chairman on the basis of the resolutions of the Council, which shall also prepare its meetings; a resolution by the Council to convene a meeting is not necessary if the conditions referred to in the preceding paragraph are given. The meetings of the national committees shall be substantially public.

(4) The national committee may make a binding resolution if an absolute majority of its members are present; a majority of the members present shall be required for the resolution.

§ 11.

(1) The meetings of the National Committee are reserved:

(a) to elect and dismiss the President, his Deputy, Secretary and other members of the Board, to appoint and relieve heads of trade unions and administrations of the Board of National Committee;

(b) elect and dismiss the chairmen of standing commissions and their other members;

(c) assess and evaluate how individual members of the National Committee perform their functions and carry out their tasks and continuously monitor the activities of their standing committees;

(d) approve the plan for the development of the economy of its territory, the budget and the accounts of the National Committee;

(e) to discuss other measures on which a national committee is to be decided pursuant to specific provisions or resolutions of higher institutions;

(f) issue generally binding regulations and approve regulations issued by the Board of the National Committee in cases of necessity and urgency.

(2) National committees shall discuss all relevant local and national issues at their meetings, in particular government resolutions, on the basis of reports from their board, their commissions and their members, shall assess the results achieved, manage and control the activities of their executive bodies, their members and commissions, as well as the activities of national committees of lower grades.

§ 12.

The National Lower Level Committee shall be managed by the National Higher Level Committee; the central and regional national committees are managed by the Government, in Slovakia through the Board of Authors. The national committees shall be responsible for their activities to the authorities which direct them and the resolutions of those authorities and higher authorities shall be binding on them. These authorities also have the right to review the resolutions and measures of the national committees they manage and may amend or interrupt them. The Council of the national higher level committee shall have the right to suspend the enforcement of the resolutions of the national lower level committee until the decision of the national higher level committee is taken.

§ 13.

(1) National Committees may issue generally binding regulations where this is necessary for the performance of their tasks. General binding regulations of national committees shall not be contrary to laws and regulations, issued by national committees of higher degrees or by the government, or by regulations issued for the implementation of the law or by the Government of Ministers, ministries or other central authorities.

(2) Generally binding Regulations of the National Committee shall be signed by the President and the Secretary. They may only be declared if they are approved by the national higher-level committee or its advice and, as regards the regulation of central and regional national committees, by the government.

(3) Where necessary and without delay, a general binding regulation and the Board of the National Committee may be issued with the consent of the higher authority referred to in paragraph 2; such regulation shall expire if the national committee does not approve it in the next meeting.

(4) Generally binding regulations shall take effect on the date of their publication, unless they provide for later application; they shall cease to be valid after two years from the date of entry into force unless a shorter period of validity is specified.

(5) Regulations which the national committee or its executive body has been empowered to issue by a special law or government regulation (Paragraph 90 (3) of the Constitution) do not require the consent provided for in paragraph 2.

Oddíl 7.

Standing Committee of the National Committee.

§ 14.

(1) Each national committee shall elect from among its members a standing committee for each working section. The members of the national committees shall participate on a daily basis in their work on standing committees. Through standing commissions, the National Committee participates in the administration of the state of a wide range of working people and focuses its initiative to carry out the tasks of economic and cultural construction.

(2) Standing commissions are managed and controlled by the national committee and are accountable to it; have no decision-making power and cannot directly interfere with the activities of trade unions and administrations or other bodies.

(3) The National Committee shall elect its first meeting as chairman and other members of standing commissions; standing committees shall be at least three members. The Standing Committee may elect a secretary from among its members, after a representative of the President of the Commission.

(4) Where this is necessary for the proper performance of the tasks of the Standing Committee of the National Committee, a non-member may also be a member of the National Committee.

§ 15.

(1) Standing commissions help the National Committee to successfully implement its national economic plans, to further increase the material and cultural level of workers and to carry out other tasks of the National Committee.

(2) Standing commissions shall cooperate in the preparation of the resolutions of the National Committee and its Board; examine the implementation of the resolutions of the National Committee and its Board; cooperate in the implementation of the resolutions and decisions of the National Committee, its executive bodies and other bodies within the national committee; discuss citizens' initiatives and complaints and report to the National Committee or its executive bodies on them with proposals for their execution and carry out the tasks assigned to them by the National Committee.

(3) Permanent commissions shall monitor the work of trade unions and boards of national committees, other bodies and undertakings within the national committee in the performance of their tasks and shall have the right to request reports and explanations from them.

(4) Proposals resulting from the work of standing committees or citizens' complaints shall be submitted by the standing commission to the national committee or its board. The proposals submitted by the Standing Committee to the Board of the National Committee shall be discussed by the Board as soon as possible. If the Standing Committee does not agree with the resolution of the Council, it may refer the matter to the national committee for consideration.

§ 16.

Permanent commissions create broad assets from the model workers of all sectors of economic life, science and culture and from other citizens who can benefit from the section for which the permanent commission was established. Activists have an advisory vote on the committee.

Oddíl 8.

Rights and obligations of members of national committees.

§ 17.

(1) A member of the National Committee is a representative of the voters of its district in the National Committee. It shall have the right to submit to the National Committee and its Board all matters within their competence.

(2) The members of the National Committee are entitled to ask questions relating to their activities to members of the Board and to the Heads of Trade and Administration. These questions must be answered within 15 days.

(3) The members of the national committee have the right to request from the authorities of the national administration and other bodies within the territory of the national committee the explanations necessary for the performance of the tasks of the national committee.

(4) Members of the National Committee who are not members of the Board of the National Committee are entitled to take part in the consultation on the Board of the National Committee on issues submitted to it.

(5) All citizens and all workers' organisations shall support and assist the member of the National Committee in the performance of its tasks.

§ 18.

(1) A member of the National Committee shall be obliged to attend meetings of the National Committee and to perform all the tasks assigned to him by the National Committee, in particular to perform conscientiously the duties of the Board and the standing committees entrusted to him by the National Committee.

(2) A member of the National Committee is obliged to be in constant contact with its constituents, paying close attention to their wishes and complaints. The experience and knowledge of work among voters is required in the National Committee and its committees. It is to lead its voters to be conscious citizens of a people's democratic state and to be a role model in civil life and in the workplace.

(3) A member of the National Committee informs his constituents of the resolutions of the Government, the tasks of the National Committee and the resolutions adopted by the National Committee for their fulfilment. It shall acquire citizens for the most effective cooperation in the performance of the tasks of the National Committee.

(4) The members of the National Committee, by their work, a personal example, in particular the care of the needs of workers, strengthen the confidence of their constituents in the popular democratic establishment. They regularly hold meetings with voters, where they hold accounts of their activities and give them the opportunity to comment on their work and on the work of the entire national committee.

§ 19.

(1) The function of a member of the National Committee is honorary. However, members shall be guaranteed to be able to perform their duties without prejudice to their working earnings and to be reimbursed for the expenses they incur in carrying out their duties.

(2) The performance of the duties of a member of the national committee may not lead to a reduction in the rights and entitlements arising from employment.

Oddíl 9.

Executive bodies of national committees.

National Committee Council.

§ 20.

(1) The Board of the National Committee shall be composed of the Chairman of the National Committee, its Deputy, Secretary and other members of the Board. All members of the Board shall be elected by the National Committee at its first meeting.

(2) The National Committee may withdraw its advice and its individual members at any time.

§ 21.

(1) The Council ensures and organises the performance of the tasks of the National Committee and implements its resolutions, manages and controls the work of trade unions and administrations, and manages and controls the work of the Councils of the National Committees of Lower Degrees and assists them.

(2) The Council decides and makes general measures and measures on a case-by-case basis on the basis of laws and other legislation and under the directives of its national committee, national committees of higher degrees and their advice and governments.

(3) The Council organises the participation of workers in the performance of the tasks of the National Committee, in particular by helping citizens to participate actively in the tasks of the National Committee.

§ 22.

Central, regional, district and urban national committees and district national committees in the capital of Prague and Bratislava establish planning committees as objective bodies of their councils. The decision of the Regional National Committee may also be taken by the Planning Committees at local national committees in large municipalities as appropriate.

§ 23.

(1) The Chairman of the National Committee shall manage the meetings of the National Committee, represent the National Committee, unless another member of the Board is authorised to represent it, and shall sign with the Secretary of the National Committee and other decisions of the National Committee and its Board. It shall ensure the proper functioning of the Council, in particular to convene and manage its meetings and to ensure that its resolutions are implemented.

(2) The Deputy Members represent and assist the President in the performance of his duties. The Presidents of the Central National Committees and the Presidents of the Regional National Committees shall have three Vice-Presidents. The presidents of the district, municipal national committees and district national committees in the capital of Prague and Bratislava have two deputy representatives. The chairmen of local national committees in municipalities of over 2,000 inhabitants and the chairmen of district national committees in urban districts of over 2,000 inhabitants have one deputy. In other municipalities and districts, the chairmen of the national committees shall not have deputy representatives and shall be represented, as appropriate, by a member of the Board designated in advance.

§ 24.

(1) The Council of the Central National Committee has 17 members. The Council of the District National Committees in Prague and Bratislava have 15 members.

(2) The Council of the Regional National Committee has 13 members.

(3) The Council of the District National Committee has 11 members.

(4) The Council of the City National Committee has 15 members.

(5) In municipalities and urban districts with a population of over 20,000, the Council of the local (district) national committee has 15 members, in municipalities and urban districts between 6,000 and 20,000 inhabitants have 13 members, in municipalities and urban districts from 2.500 to 6,000 inhabitants have 9 members and in municipalities and urban districts from 900 to 2.500 inhabitants have 7 members. In municipalities from 400 to 900 inhabitants, the council of the local national committee has 5 members, in municipalities up to 400 inhabitants 3 or 5 members depending on whether the local national committee has 9 or 11 members.

(6) The number of members of the Board may be increased or reduced as necessary, subject to the agreement of the Council of the national higher-level committee; Government approval is required to increase or reduce the number of members of the Board of Central and Regional National Committees. The same applies to the increase or reduction of the number of Vice-Presidents of the National Committee.

§ 25.

The Council shall be subordinate, on the one hand, to its national committee, and, on the other, to the Council of the national committee of higher education and government. The Council of the Regional (Central) National Committee shall be subordinate to its National Committee and Government. The higher authorities shall have the right to review the resolutions and measures of the Council under their authority and may amend or interrupt them.

§ 26.

(1) The Council shall act in the College at all times, meeting as necessary and at least once every 14 days. It may be binding in a resolution in the presence of an absolute majority of its members and shall act by a majority of the votes present.

(2) The ordinary matters of the Board shall be dealt with by the Chairman of the National Committee, together with his Deputy and Secretary.

§ 27.

The function of the board members is honorable. The government shall adjust the claims of the Presidents, their Deputy-Presidents and Secretaries which will arise from them if they are unable to carry out their regular duties.

Divisions and management of the Board of National Committees.

§ 28.

(1) The National Committees shall form politically and professionally qualified staff of trade unions and boards of national committees.

(2) For the advice of the national committees of smaller municipalities, trade unions and administrations are not set up. The work otherwise carried out by trade unions and administrations shall be carried out by the staff of the National Committee, its members, members of the National Committee, and voluntary civil servants.

§ 29.

(1) Leaders of trade unions and administrations are leaders who manage their work and who also have the power to decide and take action. They shall be personally accountable to the Board, on the one hand, to the Head of a similar department or board of the national higher-level committee and to the competent central office to which they are also subordinate.

§ 30.

The competent authorities of trade unions and administrations shall have the right to review their decisions and measures and to cancel or amend the incorrect decisions and measures.

Administrations established by central authorities.

§ 31.

The central authorities may, with the approval of the Government, establish subordinate administrations in their national committees and establish and exempt their leaders, with the knowledge of the Board of National Committee.

Oddíl 10.

Basic rules of procedure.

§ 32.

National committees and their executive bodies shall act in their work in such a way that their working procedures are consistent with the needs and interests of the working people, with laws and other regulations, and strengthen citizens' confidence in the people's democratic state apparatus. It therefore follows the following basic rules:

(a) national higher-level committees and their executive bodies shall not replace the national lower-level committee or its executive body where the matter can be effectively and economically implemented by the national lower-level committee or its executive body;

(b) the national committees and their executive bodies shall operate in accordance with a plan the implementation of which is regularly monitored;

(c) the national committees and their executive bodies shall deal with the affairs of each individual citizen in a conscientious and responsible manner and shall strictly pursue a bureaucratic, casual and condescending procedure in their handling;

(d) the national committees and their executive bodies shall ensure that the citizen is an active participant in the issuing of measures relating to him, that these measures are duly justified and that the citizen is primarily convinced of their correctness and thus raised to realise and voluntary fulfilment of his duties in the interests of the whole;

(e) the national committees and their executive bodies shall ensure that their action is based on a reliably established state of affairs;

(f) citizens must be given the opportunity to exercise their position effectively and to defend their legitimate interests;

(g) the national committees and their executive bodies, when dealing with each matter, shall choose such a way of working as to achieve the purpose of their activities as quickly, easily and economically as possible and without unnecessary burden on citizens.

Oddíl 11.

Transitional and final provisions.

§ 33.

(1) The provisions necessary for the implementation of this law shall be laid down by the Government by regulations in which the regulation may be left to the order of the central office concerned.

(2) In particular, the extent of the rights of members of the National Committee and the scope of their employers' obligations under Paragraph 19 shall be determined by the method set out in paragraph 1 and the principles for the creation, organisation and work of trade unions and administrations shall be laid down.

(3) In this way, provision shall also be made for administrative proceedings and for the performance and enforcement of judgments by judicial execution; exemptions and derogations may be provided for where justified by the specific nature of the case.

(4) If the provisions provided for by this law are not adopted, they shall be applied in accordance with the existing rules.

(5) The Government, after the authorities entrusted to it, will take the measures necessary for the smooth transition to the new organisation of national committees and their executive bodies.

§ 34.

The provisions governing the organisation and conduct of national committees and the ratios of members of national committees and their components are hereby repealed.

§ 35.

(1) This Act shall take effect on 17 May 1954.

(2) The measures taken to implement this Act before the beginning of its effectiveness shall be deemed to have been taken under it.

(3) This Act will be implemented by all members of the Government.

Zaporocký v. r.

Fierlinger v. r.

Citation	Act No. 13 / 1954 Coll., on National Committees
Regulation Type	-
Author	-
Collection	Code of Laws

Date of Promulgation	09.03.1954
Effective from	17.05.1954
Effective until	-
Status	Valid

Act No. 13 / 1954 Coll.

National Committees Act

Contents