885096472

JPRS-EER-91-053 25 April 1991

POLITICAL

5

Yariant 2—Regional (Oblast)

This variant anticipatcs the establishment of approxi-mately 15-30 regions (major okreses) on the territory of the Czech Republic.

From the viewpoint of the structure of regional organs, two Solutions are possible:

a)    Establishment of autonomous and administrative organs;

b)    Establishment of administrative organs only.

Regional organs will be involvcd particularly in deci-sions on regional and territorial development and will check on the administrative activities of organs of the First degree.

This variant does not view the territories as territorial administrative units. It encompasses three administra-tive levels (obec—oblast—republic). It anticipates the elimination of existing okreses. It does not exclude the possibility of any other organizational arrangemcnts for the courts, the ofTices of the prosccutor, and for some administrative organs. To the extent to which regions will be autonomous, they will have the financial means commensurate with their requirements. Regional policy would be coordinated at the republic level as a whole; the actual execution of regional policy, however, would be within the jurisdiction of autonomous organs.

The advantage of the regional variant lies in its sim-plicity and symmetry; the disadvantage is that this is a nontraditional solution.

Varlant 3—Combined

This variant combines certain characteristics of the territorial and regional arrangcmcnt. At the regional level, it is anticipated that regional administrative and autonomous organs will be established. The jurisdictions of the former include particularly the decisionmaking functions of the second instance; the jurisdiction of the latter includcs mostly matters of regional and territorial development. The regions can establish territorial regional unions as autonomous corporations. The var-ious territories may house extemal branches of central organs of State administration. So as to avoid the possibility of decisions which are unjust with respect to the individual territories, it is anticipated that their special standing will be anchored in a constitutional law. From the standpoint of territorial breakdown, two or three territories can be considered (Bohemia and Moravia-Silesia; Bohemia, Moravia, and Ostrava-Silesia) and 15 to 30 regions. This variant includes three administrative levels in each case: obec, region, republic; and in the event extemal branches of central organs of State administration are uscd, the administrativc levels would be the obec, the region, and the territory. The advantages of this variant lie in the fact that it combines the advantages of the regional variant (intelligibility, lucidity) with the advantagcs of the territorial variant (the essential mca-sure of decentralization at the republic level). The same is true when it comes to social gcographic viewpoints, particularly in the case of three territories. The bud-getary rules under this variant of constitutional and territorial administrative arrangement would be quite complicated. The regions would have their own budgets (in agreement with the regional variant). The budgets of territorial unions would be madę up of regional resources, possibly with subsidies from the State budget.

The system of decisionmaking regarding regional devel-opment could be dcsigned in such a manner that the spatial framework of regional policy could be rationally differentiated in accordance with the naturę of the appropriate goals and instruments of regional policy, both at the regional level and also on the territorial level.

Yariant 4—Federal (Federative)

This variant anticipates the changing of the Czech and Slovak Federal Republic into a triple federation which would be represented by the Republic of Bohemia, the Republic of Moravia-Silesia, and the Republic of Slova-kia.

Each republic would have its own constitution, iegisla-ture, the supremę organs of legislation, executive and juridical branches, and its own citizenship laws.

The territorial administrative breakdown and the number of administrative levels could vary in the indi-vidual republics.

Depending on the method chosen by the republics, decentralization could be either strengthened or weak-ened and clashes between the individual levels could be inereased or dccreased.

III. Conclusion

The four variants presented are worked up in such a manner as to contain the basie principles of the solution as they reflect the intention of the Govemment of the Czech Republic to present the proposal for the territorial administrative arrangement of the Czech Republic to the public for comment. The worked-out variants of the Solutions all take into account the autonomy of commu-nities and towns.

The question of renewing the territorial system is part of the solution for the entire complex of constitutional problems involving the Czech Republic.

Land Law Before Parliament Again in May

AU1204130391 Prague CTK in English 1433 GMT 10 Apr 91

[Text] Prague April 10 (CTK)—The 15th session of the Czechoslovak parliament, which is to resume the debate on the land bill, will probably be held after May 10, Czechoslovak Economics Minister Vladimir Dlouhy told a press conference here today.