The Slovak Republic celebrated Constitution Day, a national holiday, on Tuesday, September 1.
The holiday commemorates the anniversary of the adoption of the country’s constitution by the National Council of the Slovak Republic on September 1, 1992. This event de facto meant the establishment of the Slovak Republic as a sovereign and democratic country, respecting the rule of law. The joint state of Czechs and Slovaks ceased to exist at midnight on December 31, 1992 and two sovereign countries were born: the Slovak Republic and the Czech Republic.
The process of drafting the constitution in Slovakia began in 1991 when parliament adopted a resolution to set up a commission from party representatives to prepare a joint draft of the constitution of the Slovak Republic, the SITA newswire wrote. The Slovak parliament debated the draft on August 31 and September 1, and following a tense discussion and a walkout by deputies representing the Hungarian minority, parliament openly voted on the final text. Out of 134 members the 150-member parliament who were present, 114 voted for the draft, 16 voted against, and four abstained. The constitution became effective on the date of its promulgation, October 1, 1992. The country’s highest law, it has been revised several times since then.
Compiled by Zuzana Vilikovská from press reports
The Slovak Spectator cannot vouch for the accuracy of the information presented in its Flash News postings.
