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The fifth Constitution of Uruguay was in force between 1952 and 1967.
Approved in a referendum on 16 December 1951, it replaced the previous constitutional text, which had been in force since 1942.
On July 31, 1951, a formal pact between the right-wing Batllist fraction of the Colorados – the Colorado and Batllist Union (Unión Colorada y Batllista – UCB) – and the Herrerist Movement (Movimiento Herrerista) of the Blancos called for a plebiscite on constitutional reform. The plebiscite the following December 16 drew less than half of the 1.1 million voters to the polls, but the collegial system was approved by a small margin. [1]
As the culmination of an effort to reestablish the colegiado and the plural executive power, a fourth constitution was promulgated on January 25, 1952. It readopted José Batlle y Ordóñez's original proposal for coparticipation by creating a nine-member colegiado, this time called the National Council of Government (Consejo Nacional de Gobierno), with six majority-party seats and three minority-party seats. The presidency of the council rotated among the six members of the majority party. The chief executive could nominate only four of the nine ministers from his own party faction; the General Assembly selected the other five through separate votes in both chambers. An absolute majority (more than two-thirds), however, of the full membership of the two legislative chambers had to support the appointments. It thereby ensured that either the Colorados or the Blancos would get the minority seats on the colegiado. The 1952 constitution also provided for impeachment of the president by the General Assembly. [1]
This nine-member colegiado, which headed the executive branch from 1954 to 1967, was ineffective because the president lacked control over the ministers and because the majority was seldom united. During most of this period, the National Party held power, having been elected in 1958 for the first time in over ninety years and again in 1962 when a different faction of the party was elected. The ineffectiveness of these governments caused the public to turn against the colegiado arrangement. [1] [2]
The history of Uruguay comprises different periods: the pre-Columbian time or early history, the Colonial Period (1516–1811), the Period of Nation-Building (1811–1830), and the history of Uruguay as an independent country (1830–present).
The politics of Uruguay abide by a presidential representative democratic republic, under which the president of Uruguay is both the head of state and the head of government, as well as a multiform party system. The president exercises executive power and legislative power and is vested in the two chambers of the General Assembly of Uruguay. The Judiciary is independent from the executive and legislature.
José Pablo Torcuato Batlle y Ordóñez, nicknamed Don Pepe, was a prominent Uruguayan politician, who served two terms as President of Uruguay for the Colorado Party. He was the son of a former president and was widely praised for his introduction of his political system, Batllism, to South America and for his role in modernizing Uruguay through his creation of extensive welfare state reforms.
A supermajority is a requirement for a proposal to gain a specified level of support which is greater than the threshold of more than one-half used for a simple majority. Supermajority rules in a democracy can help to prevent a majority from eroding fundamental rights of a minority, but they can also hamper efforts to respond to problems and encourage corrupt compromises at times when action is taken. Changes to constitutions, especially those with entrenched clauses, commonly require supermajority support in a legislature. Parliamentary procedure requires that any action of a deliberative assembly that may alter the rights of a minority have a supermajority requirement, such as a two-thirds vote. In consensus democracy the supermajority rule is applied in most cases.
The National Party also known as the White Party, is a major political party in Uruguay. Founded in 1836 by General Manuel Oribe, it is the country's oldest active political party, and along with the Colorado Party, its origin dates back to the establishment of Uruguay as an independent state.
The current Constitution of Ireland came into effect on 29 December 1937, repealing and replacing the Constitution of the Irish Free State, having been approved in a national plebiscite on 1 July 1937 with the support of 56.5% of voters in the then Irish Free State. The Constitution was closely associated with Éamon de Valera, the President of the Executive Council of the Irish Free State at the time of its approval.
The Constitution of the Republic of Belarus is the ultimate law of Belarus. The Constitution is composed of a preamble and nine sections divided into 146 articles.
The Constitution of Uruguay is the supreme law of Uruguay. Its first version was written in 1830 and its last amendment was made in 2004.
After World War I, Czechoslovakia established itself and as a republic and democracy with the establishment of the Constitution of 1920. The constitution was adopted by the National Assembly on 29 February 1920 and replaced the provisional constitution adopted on 13 November 1918.
The National Council of Government was the ruling body in Uruguay between 1952 and 1967. It consisted of nine members, of which six were from the party that received the most votes in general elections, and three from the runner-up party. Generally known as the colegiado system, it had previously existed as the National Council of Administration between 1918 and 1933.
A constitutional referendum was held in Uruguay on 25 November 1917. Amongst the changes to the system of government, the new constitution would create a National Council of Administration alongside the presidency. The National Council of Administration would have nine members; six from the winning party and three from the runner-up party. The proposals were approved by 95% of voters. The result was confirmed by the Senate on 18 December, and the new constitution came into force on 1 March 1919.
A constitutional referendum was held in Uruguay on 19 April 1934, alongside parliamentary elections. The new constitution was approved by 95.75% of voters.
General elections were held in Uruguay on 30 November 1958, alongside a constitutional referendum. Following the end of a schism between the National Party and the Independent National Party, the National Party received almost half the vote, winning a majority of seats in the National Council of Government, the Chamber of Deputies and the Senate, and allowing it to lead the government for the first time since 1865.
A constitutional referendum was held in Uruguay on 24 November 1946, alongside general elections. Two options for amending the constitution were put to voters, but both were rejected.
A constitutional referendum was held in Uruguay on 16 December 1951. The proposed amendments to the constitution were approved by 54% of voters.
A constitutional referendum was held in Uruguay on 25 November 1962 alongside general elections. The proposed amendments to the constitution were rejected by 83% of voters.
The first Constitution of Uruguay dates back to 1830. Drafted by the Constituent Assembly, summoned in the Church of La Aguada in 1829, it was sworn by the citizens on 18 July 1830.
The sixth Constitution of Uruguay came into force in 1967.
The third Constitution of Uruguay was in force between 1934 and 1942.
The second Constitution of Uruguay was in force during the period 1918–1933.