Revolution by the law: Transformation of the Czechoslovak Federal Assembly 1989–1990

In: Prispevki za novejšo zgodovino: Contributions to the contemporary history = Contributions à l'histoire contemporaine = Beiträge zur Zeitgeschichte, Band 55, Heft 3, S. 60-83

Abstract

This study looks at the role of the Federal Assembly in the Velvet Revolution. With the disintegration of the communist party, the Federal Assembly became unexpectedly a key constitutional institution with far reaching powers in times of rapid political change. The revolutionary movement Civic Forum forced through a legislation that enabled to recall substantial part of the members of the parliament and replace them by its own candidates through co-optation. This method of "cleansing" of the parliament had far-reaching consequences for the post-November Czechoslovak political culture.