Great National Assembly
Encyclopedia
The Great National Assembly was the legislature
of the Romanian People's Republic
and the Socialist Republic Romania
. When Communism was overthrown
in Romania in December 1989, the National Assembly was replaced by a bicameral parliament
, made up of the Chamber of Deputies
and the Senate
.
The Great National Assembly was elected every four years and each of its members represented 60,000 citizens. Despite of this, the Assembly was merely a façade which helped perpetuating the illusion of democracy.
and it includes 24 powers, which range from changing the constitution to the naming and deposing of the Supreme Commander of the Romanian Army. The resolutions required a simple majority to be passed through.
The Assembly convened twice a year for ordinary sessions and for extraordinary sessions as many times as required by the Council of State or by at least one third of the members of the Assembly. It elected its own chairmen and four deputies to preside each session.
Formally, the MAN gained in power over time: the 1948 Constitution
(article 39) grants it just eight powers; the 1952 Constitution
(article 24), 10.
192 seats of the Assembly were occupied by women and 47 seats belonged to national minorities (mainly Hungarians and Germans).
Legislature
A legislature is a kind of deliberative assembly with the power to pass, amend, and repeal laws. The law created by a legislature is called legislation or statutory law. In addition to enacting laws, legislatures usually have exclusive authority to raise or lower taxes and adopt the budget and...
of the Romanian People's Republic
Communist Romania
Communist Romania was the period in Romanian history when that country was a Soviet-aligned communist state in the Eastern Bloc, with the dominant role of Romanian Communist Party enshrined in its successive constitutions...
and the Socialist Republic Romania
Communist Romania
Communist Romania was the period in Romanian history when that country was a Soviet-aligned communist state in the Eastern Bloc, with the dominant role of Romanian Communist Party enshrined in its successive constitutions...
. When Communism was overthrown
Romanian Revolution of 1989
The Romanian Revolution of 1989 was a series of riots and clashes in December 1989. These were part of the Revolutions of 1989 that occurred in several Warsaw Pact countries...
in Romania in December 1989, the National Assembly was replaced by a bicameral parliament
Parliament of Romania
The Parliament of Romania is made up of two chambers:*The Chamber of Deputies*The SenatePrior to the modifications of the Constitution in 2003, the two houses had identical attributes. A text of a law had to be approved by both houses...
, made up of the Chamber of Deputies
Chamber of Deputies of Romania
The Chamber of Deputies is the lower house in Romania's bicameral parliament. It has 315 seats, to which deputies are elected by direct popular vote on a proportional representation basis to serve four-year terms...
and the Senate
Senate of Romania
The Senate of Romania is the upper house in the bicameral Parliament of Romania. It has 137 seats , to which members are elected by direct popular vote, using Mixed member proportional representation in 42 electoral districts , to serve four-year terms.-Former location:After the Romanian...
.
The Great National Assembly was elected every four years and each of its members represented 60,000 citizens. Despite of this, the Assembly was merely a façade which helped perpetuating the illusion of democracy.
Powers
Its role is given by article 43 of the 1965 Constitution of Romania1965 Constitution of Romania
The 1965 Constitution of Romania, Communist Romania's third, was drafted by a committee of the Great National Assembly and approved by a plenary session of the Central Committee of the Romanian Communist Party on June 28, 1965...
and it includes 24 powers, which range from changing the constitution to the naming and deposing of the Supreme Commander of the Romanian Army. The resolutions required a simple majority to be passed through.
The Assembly convened twice a year for ordinary sessions and for extraordinary sessions as many times as required by the Council of State or by at least one third of the members of the Assembly. It elected its own chairmen and four deputies to preside each session.
Formally, the MAN gained in power over time: the 1948 Constitution
1948 Constitution of Romania
The 1948 Constitution of Romania was the first adopted after the establishment of the Communist regime, which it enshrined into law. It was modelled on the 1936 Soviet Constitution and adopted by the Great National Assembly on April 13, 1948, being published in Monitorul Oficial the same day...
(article 39) grants it just eight powers; the 1952 Constitution
1952 Constitution of Romania
The 1952 Constitution of Romania, also called the "constitution of building socialism", expressed the consolidation of Communist power, featuring greater ideological content than its 1948 predecessor. A draft was written by a commission elected by the Great National Assembly on March 27, 1952 and...
(article 24), 10.
1980 elections
According to the official results of the March 9, 1980, election, which elected 369 deputies, 99.99% of the registered voters cast their votes. Of them, 98.52% voted for the official candidates, 1.48% voted against and just 44 votes were declared invalid.192 seats of the Assembly were occupied by women and 47 seats belonged to national minorities (mainly Hungarians and Germans).
Presidents of the Great National Assembly
- Gheorghe ApostolGheorghe ApostolGheorghe Apostol was a Romanian politician, deputy Prime Minister of Romania and a former leader of the Communist Party, noted for his rivalry with Nicolae Ceauşescu.-Early life:...
April 7, 1948-June 11, 1948; - Constantin Agiu June 11, 1948-December 27, 1948;
- Constantin PîrvulescuConstantin PîrvulescuConstantin Pîrvulescu was a Romanian communist politician, one of the founders of the Romanian Communist Party , and, eventually, an active opponent of Communist Romania's leader Nicolae Ceauşescu...
December 27, 1948-July 5, 1949; - Dumitru Petrescu July 5, 1949-December 28, 1949;
- Alexandru Drăghici December 28, 1949-January 26, 1950;
- Dumitru Petrescu January 26, 1950-May 29, 1950;
- Constantin Doncea May 29, 1950-September 6, 1950;
- Gheorghe ApostolGheorghe ApostolGheorghe Apostol was a Romanian politician, deputy Prime Minister of Romania and a former leader of the Communist Party, noted for his rivalry with Nicolae Ceauşescu.-Early life:...
September 6, 1950-April 5, 1951; - Ion VinczeIon VinczeIon Vincze was a Romanian communist politician and diplomat...
April 5, 1951-March 26, 1952; - Gheorghe ApostolGheorghe ApostolGheorghe Apostol was a Romanian politician, deputy Prime Minister of Romania and a former leader of the Communist Party, noted for his rivalry with Nicolae Ceauşescu.-Early life:...
March 26, 1952-June 2, 1952; - Gheorghe Stoica June 2, 1952-November 30, 1952
- Constantin PîrvulescuConstantin PîrvulescuConstantin Pîrvulescu was a Romanian communist politician, one of the founders of the Romanian Communist Party , and, eventually, an active opponent of Communist Romania's leader Nicolae Ceauşescu...
January 23, 1953-20 March, 1961; - Ştefan VoitecStefan VoitecŞtefan Voitec was a Romanian socialist and communist journalist, politician, and statesman of Communist Romania.-Biography:...
20 March 1961-March 28, 1974; - Miron ConstantinescuMiron ConstantinescuMiron Constantinescu was a Romanian communist politician, a leading member of the Romanian Communist Party , as well as a Marxist sociologist, historian, academic, and journalist...
March 28, 1974-18 July 1974; - Nicolae Giosan 26 July 1974-22 December 1989.