WEIMAR CONSTITUTION

Evening Post, Volume CXIV, Issue 90, 13 October 1932, Page 11

WEIMAR CONSTITUTION

The German parliamentary system at present provides no Upper Chamber, though, there are two Houses, one the Beiehstag, which is the seat of governmental power, and the other the Beichsrp.t, -which, acts as a sub-parliament. The Beichstag, which is elected by a system of proportional representation 'ana serves for a term of four years, consists of one member for each 60,000 votes east, the total votes for the party lists being divided by 60,000 to determine the seats for each party and surplus votes for each party in each constituency being added together to form contiguous constituencies and extra seats given in accordance with the ;totals of these votes. There is also a national list of seats for surplus votes accumulated throughout the entire Federation. Iv the Beiehstag, the Chancellor of the Commonwealth, who is roughly equivalent to the Prime Minister, requires tho confidence of the Chamber and Ministers, too, hold office at the pleasure of the Eeiehstag. A Minister is obliged to resign when the confidence of the House is withdrawn by express resolution. The Chancellor is" held primarily^ responsible for the general lines of policy, while each Minister directs his Department within the scope of that policy. There is an evident intention to make the Chancellor a much bigger figure than his colleagues. The Eeiehstag has further control through occasional Committees of Inquiry, the Standing Committee on Foreign Affairs which continues its wort beyond the" session, and a Special' Standing Committee to supervise administration during the recess. The Beichsrat represents the States of the Federation, and its 66 members have one vote for every million inhabitants, and at least one vote; any surplus over a million, if equal •to the population of the smallest State, counts as a full million. A member of the Government presides over the plenary and. committee sessions of this Chamber. The Beiehsrat has rights of preliminary sanction and of protest against a Eeiehstag Bill, and if matters reach a deadlock tho President of the Federation may order a referendum where the Eeiehstag majority is less than twothirds, and ho must where the majority is over two-thirds. .■■■'.-... There are other elements of direct legislation. The President may at any time refer a Eeiehstag measure to the people. One-third of the Eeiehstag may demand that the promulgation of a Bill shall b,e deferred for two months, and then one-twentieth of the electorate may demand a referendum on it. Further, in the referendum, one-tenth of the electorate may initiate a measure. The people may initiate a constitutional amendment and the Reichstag may amend the Constitution by a two-thirds majority, at "least two-thirds of the members being present, and where the Eeiehsrat ■ disapproves such an amendment it may demand an appeal'to the people • . : .. The Constitution also creates a hierarchy of "Workers' Councils from the works of the whole nation and. a hierarchy of economic councils from the Chambers of Commerce and Labour up to the Federal Economic Couaieil, the Eeichswirtschaftsrat. This is in ten groups, each-representing a branch of social life, and has the power of scrutinising fundamental projects by the Government of an economic and social nature and commenting upon these before their introduction, to the Reichstag. It can ask questions, make ' inquiries, and initiate laws through the Government, ) Although experience has shown the value of this body,' its proceedings have tended to become obscure and its decisions valueless. Its scope is essentially one of research, criticism, and advice, and its work is done T>y twenty Standing Committees. ■ The president, elected by direct vote for seven years, may be recalled "by a two-thirds resolution of the Eeiehstag. If he is re-elected the Eeiehstag iar dissolved. In cases where public security and order are seriously disturbed he may sanction legislation by decree, but the validity of these decrees depends upon the assent of the Eeiehstag.