Overview
Guide about what the Soviet republic is.
Characteristic
The Soviet Republic is characterized by the sovereignty of the Soviets, the representative bodies of state power.
The Soviet Republic possesses generally accepted democratic institutions:
- electoral system
- rights and freedoms, etc.
The only system of government bodies is made up of special representative bodies – Councils of different levels, united by hierarchy and subordination. According to the basic law, the Soviets belong to the full power, they represent the political basis of the Soviet state, all other bodies are accountable and controlled by the Soviets.
The Soviet Republic is being built on the principle of democratic centralism, denying the principle of separation of powers. The Councils carry out their activities at sessions, and in the intervals between them, the permanent bodies are presidiums and executive committees (executive committees), depending on the level of the Councils. Deputies, if they are not part of the leadership of the executive committee or presidium, are not exempt from civil work.
For this type of government, the following features are fundamental:
- The principle of the separation of powers is not recognized, since the leading Marxist-Leninist theory in society rejected this principle as ignoring the class nature of the state
- The principle of democratic centralism
- The functions of parliament are performed either by the Soviets themselves or by their chambers
- The functions of the head of state are performed by collegial bodies – the Presidiums of the Soviets (in the USSR, at the all-Union and republican levels
- There is an imperative deputy mandate – deputies are accountable to the population and can be recalled by them in case of unjustified confidence
- There is no distinction between state bodies and local self-government bodies (in the theory and state practice of the Soviet republic, the very concept of “local self-government” is not used)
- The functions of the head of government are performed by collegial bodies – bureaus or Presidiums of the Councils of People’s Commissars, or Councils of Ministers
- The functions of the head of the legislative branch are performed by collegial speakers – presidiums of the Soviets or Congresses of Soviets
- Non-party people are also elected to the Soviets, sometimes there were more of them than party members
Types of Soviet republics
The Soviet republics can be subdivided into 3 groups:
- Soviet republics in which the supreme authority is the Congress of Soviets. In the intervals between the congresses, the Central Executive Committee (in fact, the Supreme Soviet) and the Council of People’s Commissars, which is formed by the CEC, operate. Deputies of the Central Executive Committee are elected from among the delegates to the Congress of Soviets. People’s Commissars are appointed from among the deputies of the CEC. Thus, the system of Soviets was formed through multi-stage elections. Examples of such republics: the USSR (before 1936), the BNSR, the LBSSR (Litbel), the Iskolata Republic (Soviet Latvia), etc. Only the working people could participate in elections in such republics. The Soviets consisted of non-party people and Bolsheviks
- Soviet republics in which the supreme organ of power is the Supreme Soviet. He and the Soviets at all levels are directly elected by the people (by the whole people, since by 1936 socialism was considered to be built and there were no more “harmful” elements). The Council of People’s Commissars / Council of Ministers is formed by the Supreme Council. People’s Commissars / Ministers are appointed from among the deputies of the Supreme Soviet. Examples of such Soviet republics: the USSR (1936-1989) and the Tuvan People’s Republic
- Soviet republics in which the Soviets were the only supreme authority. The head of state is its chairman (or the chairman of its presidium), and the government is the executive committee. Such a device is due to its small territorial size. Examples of such Soviet republics: Republic of Naissaara, Tarnobrzeg Republic, Labin Republic, Soviet Limerick, etc.