Czech parliament approves constitutional amendment to allow early elections News
Czech parliament approves constitutional amendment to allow early elections

[JURIST] The Czech Parliament on Friday approved [press release, in Czech] a constitutional amendment [text, in Czech] that would allow the legislative body to dissolve and hold early elections. The lawmakers initially agreed [JURIST report] to amend the country's constitution [text] on Thursday following a decision [judgment, PDF, in Czech] by the country's Constitutional Court [official website, in Czech] that delayed the elections in response to a suit brought by independent lawmaker Milos Melcak [official website, in Czech]. Melcak alleged that the earlier scheduled elections violated his right to serve a full parliamentary term. The court ruled that the elections scheduled for October 9 and 10 would amount to a suspension of the constitution.

Earlier this month, after the court announced it would consider Melcak's suit, Czech President Vaclav Klaus [official website, in Czech] expressed his concern [JURIST report] for the decision and called it "highly political." Klaus held a meeting after the court's initial decision to discuss the proposed amendments. Former prime minister Mirek Topolanek [official website; JURIST news archive] formally resigned [JURIST report] in March, dissolving parliament, which led to the scheduling of the now-delayed October elections. The Czech Republic has been experiencing economic difficulty over the past year and the delayed election will further delay budget negotiations.

THIS DAY @ LAW

UN Security Council called for Israeli withdrawal from territories occupied in Six Days' War

On November 22, 1967, the UN Security Council called for Israeli withdrawal from territories occupied during the Six Days' War, and for respect of the right of all States in the area to "live in peace within secure and recognized boundaries." Read Resolution 242, which remains a cornerstone of efforts to achieve peace in the Middle East.

President Kennedy assassinated, VP Lyndon Johnson sworn inin

On November 22, 1963, President John F. Kennedy was assassinated in Dallas, Texas. Later that day, Vice-President Lyndon Johnson was sworn in as the 36th President of the United States. Earl Warren, the Chief Justice of the Supreme Court, was later tasked with leading a commission to investigate the assassination. President Johnson received the final report of the Warren Commission on September 24, 1964. Read the Warren Commission Report.