Suchergebnisse

ABSTRACT & RÉSUMÉ & ZUSAMMENFASSUNG : Abstract: Throughout the year the controversial legislative elections dominated the political landscape. Huge anti-government demonstrations that called in vain for political alternance. The legislative elections of 20 December 2018, boycotted by the major opposition parties, resulted in an easy victory of the ruling party, however without the expected constitutional amendment majority. Therefore, the prime minister and his cabinet were replaced. The local elections, crucial for democratization at the grass-roots, but postponed time and again since 1987, were again postponed in December 2018 sine die. Economic growth remained stable at about 5% per annum. Public investment in infrastructure (e. g. roads, harbour) and increases in agricultural productivity, notably of export crops, had been the key drivers of economic growth. Moreover, money-laundering, illegal money transfers and trafficking grew alarmingly. Unemployment and lacking political change caused increasing migration. ______________________________________________________________________________________________________________ RÉSUMÉ : Tout au long de l'année, les élections législatives controversées ont dominé le paysage politique. D'énormes manifestations antigouvernementales réclamaient en vain une alternance politique. Les élections législatives du 20 décembre 2018, boycottées par les principaux partis de l'opposition, ont permis une victoire facile du parti au pouvoir, sans toutefois obtenir la majorité requise pour un amendement constitutionnel. Par conséquent, le Premier ministre et son cabinet ont été remplacés. Les élections locales, cruciales pour la démocratisation à la base, mais reportées à plusieurs reprises depuis 1987, ont été à nouveau reportées en décembre 2018 sine die. La croissance économique est restée stable à environ 5% par an. Les investissements publics dans les infrastructures (routes, ports, etc.) et l'augmentation de la productivité agricole, notamment des cultures ...

Die Verfassung des Kongo, dessen vollständiger Text in dem Beitrag wiedergegeben wird, wurde am 15. März 1991 von 96,3% der Stimmberechtigten gebilligt. Mit ihr wird nach 30jähriger Herrschaft der Einheitspartei die Demokratie eingeführt. Als Vorlage für die Verfassung dienten die französische Verfassung von 1958 und die namibische. Letztere, um den Einfluß des Präsidenten auf den Staatsapparat zu vermeiden. (DÜI-Ott)

The 1970/71 revision of the Belgian constitution recognized the existence of three cultural communities--two major (Flemish & French) & one minor (German)--& three geographic regions (Flanders, Wallonia, & Brussels). This led to the creation of several new subnational institutions of which the most important are the cultural & the regional councils. Each cultural council is comprised of the senators & representatives of one linguistic group, while the regional councils are composed of these same parliamentarians (plus municipal council members in the case of Brussels) in accordance with their geographic residence. The councils may thus be seen as subgroupings of the national parliament. They are both essentially advisory bodies, but the cultural councils do legislate decrees which, when enforced by the respective Ministers of Culture, have the force of law. On the other hand, regional councils are purely consultative assemblies providing opinions in the functional areas specified by the constitution. A ministerial committee for each region considers the council's recommendations in enforcing national policies in the region. A detailed inventory of the activities of these councils is given. After two years of existence, the Flemish (but not the French) cultural council has adopted a number of decrees relative to the autonomy of Flemish culture. Today, both councils appear to have reached the end of their usefulness as normative bodies. Their area of competency should be extended. Few of the texts voted by the regional councils have become law, & these councils should be given the power to vote on decrees. Their lack of interest in matters of energy, industry, & employment is left unexplained. New constitutional amendments are needed to make these councils more effective, on the basis of the experience of the last two years. The activities of the councils must be understood against the background of the conflict that opposes the partisans of a unitary state, those of a bilinguistic federation, & those of a triregional federation. 9 Tables. Modified HA.

Time is a major dimension in the rationalized parlementary system imposed by the 5th Republic. Since the beginning, the 1958 Constitution has applied to put the time at the service of the Executive power. This choice allowed the Executive power to no longer experience the same difficulties as under the previous republics in the parlementary institution management. Nevertheless that rationalization did not solve the problem caused by the use of the parlementary time. On the eve of the 2008 constitutional revision the parlementary time is marked by overwork characterized in the meantime with a too slow procedure (endless debates, permanent increasing in session length, increasing numbers of amendments.) and a speeding up in the session working rhythm. The constitutional revision of July 23rd, 2008 tried to provide an answer to the temporal dysfunctions by rewriting a lot of rules related to the parlementary time.The writers of the Constitution noticed that on one hand the 1958 text was an essential part of the temporal regime and its dysfunctions, and, that on the other hand a revision of the basic standards would compel the members of Parliament to change their behavior. That process has then irrigated the lower standards such as organic law April 15th 2009 and Parlementary rules. In order to reach positive and real achievements the resort to the juridical writ – and in the first place its higher expression – the Constitution – was largely chosen. Since the introduction of that process a mild assessment as to the choices being made can be drawn. Yet new instruments had been put in place in order to speed up the legislative procedure but also slow down the violent hurry in the working rhythm. ; Le temps est une dimension majeure du parlementarisme rationalisé imposé par la Vème République. Dès sa genèse, la Constitution de 1958 s'est employée à le mettre au service de l'exécutif. Ce choix a permis à l'exécutif de ne plus connaître les mêmes difficultés que sous les précédentes Républiques dans la gestion de ...

This article studies the current debate on whether a change of the amendment procedure of the Belgian Constution ought to be envisaged.

Offiziöser Standpunkt

Time is a major dimension in the rationalized parlementary system imposed by the 5th Republic. Since the beginning, the 1958 Constitution has applied to put the time at the service of the Executive power. This choice allowed the Executive power to no longer experience the same difficulties as under the previous republics in the parlementary institution management. Nevertheless that rationalization did not solve the problem caused by the use of the parlementary time. On the eve of the 2008 constitutional revision the parlementary time is marked by overwork characterized in the meantime with a too slow procedure (endless debates, permanent increasing in session length, increasing numbers of amendments.) and a speeding up in the session working rhythm. The constitutional revision of July 23rd, 2008 tried to provide an answer to the temporal dysfunctions by rewriting a lot of rules related to the parlementary time.The writers of the Constitution noticed that on one hand the 1958 text was an essential part of the temporal regime and its dysfunctions, and, that on the other hand a revision of the basic standards would compel the members of Parliament to change their behavior. That process has then irrigated the lower standards such as organic law April 15th 2009 and Parlementary rules. In order to reach positive and real achievements the resort to the juridical writ – and in the first place its higher expression – the Constitution – was largely chosen. Since the introduction of that process a mild assessment as to the choices being made can be drawn. Yet new instruments had been put in place in order to speed up the legislative procedure but also slow down the violent hurry in the working rhythm. ; Le temps est une dimension majeure du parlementarisme rationalisé imposé par la Vème République. Dès sa genèse, la Constitution de 1958 s'est employée à le mettre au service de l'exécutif. Ce choix a permis à l'exécutif de ne plus connaître les mêmes difficultés que sous les précédentes Républiques dans la gestion de l'institution parlementaire. Pourtant cette rationalisation n'a nullement résolu le problème de la gestion du temps parlementaire. À la veille de la révision constitutionnelle de 2008, le temps parlementaire est marqué par un surmenage caractérisé à la fois par une procédure trop lente (débats sans fin, augmentation permanente du temps de séance, du nombre des amendements déposés) et une précipitation de son rythme. La révision constitutionnelle du 23 juillet 2008 a tenté d'apporter une réponse aux dysfonctionnements temporels en réécrivant de nombreuses normes relatives au temps parlementaire.Le constituant est parti du constat que d'une part, le texte de 1958 était une pièce essentielle du régime temporel et de ses dysfonctionnements et que d'autre part, une révision de la norme fondamentale contraindrait les parlementaires à modifier leurs comportements. Cette démarche a par la suite irrigué les normes inférieures (loi organique du 15 avril 2009 et règlements parlementaires). Pour obtenir des résultats positifs et tangibles, le recours à l'écrit juridique, et en premier lieu à son expression sommitale – la Constitution – fut ainsi largement privilégié. Depuis son entrée en vigueur, un bilan mitigé peut être tiré quant aux choix effectués. Pourtant, des instruments nouveaux avaient été mis en place pour tout à la fois accélérer la procédure législative mais aussi ralentir la précipitation excessive du rythme de travail.