Three Chambers of 1991 Parliament Meet for Ceremonial Sessions
All three chambers of the 1991 parliament held separate sessions on Saturday to remember their decision to uphold the 1990 referendum outcome and declare Slovenia's independence, as the country is gearing up to celebrate 15 years of its sovereignty this evening.
The social and political chamber, the chamber of municipalities and the chamber of associated labour were thanked by Speaker of the National Assembly France Cukjati for "deciding as they did" in 1991.
"If we had to vote again, we would have voted in the same manner," Cukjati stressed, adding that those were critical times, as the country held its first multi-party elections in April 1990.
This was the first time that Slovenians had to discuss and find a solution that would be approved by all. "And you managed to find such a solution and made this country independent," Cukjati added.
Under the previous political system, each of the three chambers had 80 deputies. Nine out of 16 political parties and organisations and one independent list of candidates that ran at the 1990 elections were represented in the three.
All three chambers held a special joint session on 26 December 1990, when they declared the result of the referendum on independence and, on 25 June 1991, when they passed the constitutional charter on sovereignty and independence of the Republic of Slovenia.
The current Slovenian parliament has 90 deputies, of which two seats are reserved for a representative of the Italian and Hungarian minorities, respectively. Another 40 people sit in the upper chamber, the National Council.
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