Presidential/Parliamentary Democracy
Executive Branch: [RF 6]
Ivo Josipovic - President The president is elected by a popular vote for a five-year term. He is eligible for a second term but no more. Following the death of President Tudjman, the powers of the presidency were curtailed and greater responsibility was vested in Parliament. Executive Powers: [RF 35]
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Legislative Branch: [RF 6]
Zoran Milanovic - Prime Minister During the presidential election, the leader of the majority party or the leader of the majority coalition is usually appointed prime minister by the president and then approved by the assembly. The legislative branch is depicted as a unicameral Assembly. There are 151 seats (Chamber of Representatives), where members are elected from party lists by popular vote to serve four-year terms. The Croatian Parliament, also known as the Sabor, became a unicameral body after its upper house (Chamber of Counties) was eliminated by constitutional amendment in March 2001. The Sabor includes 140 members from 10 geographic districts within Croatia (each district holds 14 seats), as well as eight seats guaranteed to representatives of national minorities (three for the Serb minority, and five for other smaller groups), and three seats for Croatians abroad without fixed residence in Croatia, the large majority of whom reside in Bosnia-Herzegovina. The Sabor holds regular sessions throughout the year, with two periods of recess in the summer and the winter. The powers of the legislature include enactment and amendment of the constitution, passage of laws, adoption of the state budget, declarations of war and peace, alteration of the boundaries of the republic, and carrying out elections and appointments to office. The prime minister and government are responsible for proposing legislation and a budget, executing the laws, and guiding the foreign and internal policies of the republic. In addition to Prime Minister Milanovic, the cabinet has 21 ministers as of March 2012, including four deputy prime ministers, the majority of whom are members of the SDP. SDP coalition partners hold five cabinet seats: Principal Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Economy, Minister of Foreign and European Affairs, Minister of Construction and Physical Planning, Minister of Culture, and Minister of Tourism. |
Judicial Branch: [RF 6]
Croatia has a three-tiered judicial system, consisting of the Supreme Court, county courts, and municipal courts. Croatia's Supreme Court is the highest court in the republic. The Supreme Court assures the uniform application of laws. Members of the high court are appointed by the National Judicial Council, a body of 11 members, and justices on the Supreme Court are appointed for life. The court's hearings are generally open to the public. The Constitutional Court is a body of 13 judges appointed by Parliament for an 8-year term. The Constitutional Court works to assure the conformity of all laws to the constitution. [RF 34] |