Supreme Soviet
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
The Supreme Soviet of the USSR (Russian: ВерхоÌвный СовеÌÑ‚ СССР, Verkhóvnyj Sovét SSSR) was the highest legislative body in the Soviet Union in the interim of the sessions of the Congress of Soviets, and the only one with the power to pass constitutional amendments. It elected the Presidium, formed the Soviet government, the Supreme Court, and appointed the Procurator General of the USSR.
From the formation of the USSR (1922) until the approval of the 1936 Soviet Constitution, it was named Central Executive Committee of the USSR (Центральный ИÑполнительный Комитет СССРor ЦИК СССР, or, romanized, TsIK SSSR) and functioned until 1938 under this name. It was made up of two chambers according to the 1924 Soviet Constitution: the Soviet of the Union and the Soviet of Nationalities. Beside it there were Central Executive Committees in federal republics, such as All-Russian Central Executive Committee (in Russia), Belorussian Central Executive Committee (in Belorussia) and All-Ukranian Central Executive Committee (in Ukraine).
The Supreme Soviet was made up of two chambers, each with equal legislative powers, with members elected for four-year terms: [1]
Until Perestroika and the partially free elections in 1989, the Supreme Soviet functioned as a rubber stamp to legislation originating from less representative but more powerful bodies, like the Politburo.
In 1989, there were 750 members in each chamber. The Supreme Soviet met regularly twice a year but it could be called into extraordinary session. The Presidium carried out the day-to-day operations of the Supreme Soviet when it was not in session.
Contents
[edit] Chairman of the Central Executive Committee of the USSR
This position was held by four people at once.
[edit] Chairmen of the Presidium of the Supreme Soviet of the USSR (1938–1989)
[edit] Chairmen of the Supreme Soviet of the USSR (1989–1991)
[edit] Supreme Soviets of the Union Republics
Each republic of the Soviet Union also had its own Supreme Soviet, a one-chamber legislature functioning along similar lines. The same was the case with the ASSRs. After the dissolution of USSR, each of these bodies became the legislatures of independent countries. The Supreme Soviet of the RSFSR and the Congress of Soviets of RSFSR were the legislature of Russia until being dissolved by military force during the 1993 constitutional crisis.
