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A parliamentary republic or parliamentary constitutional republic is a form of a republic which operates under a parliamentary system of government (a system with no clear-cut branches).

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[edit] The power of parliament

In contrast to a parliamentary republic and the semi-parliamentary system, the head of state usually does not have broad executive powers as an executive president would, because many of those powers have been granted to a "head of government" (usually called a prime minister). However, the head of government and head of state may form one office in a parliamentary republic (such as South Africa and Botswana), but the president is still elected in much the same way as the prime minister is in most Westminster systems. This usually means that they are the leader of the largest party or coalition of parties in parliament.

In some instances, the President may legally have executive powers granted to them to undertake the day-to-day running of government (as in Finland) but by convention they either do not use these powers or they use them only to give effect to the advice of the parliament and/or head of government. Some parliamentary republics could therefore be seen as following the semi-presidential system but operating under a parliamentary system.

[edit] List of current Parliamentary republics

Country Formerly Parliamentary republic adopted Head of state elected by
Flag of Albania Albania One-party state 1991 Parliament, by three-fifths majority
Flag of Austria Austria One-party state 1955 Direct, by second-round system
Flag of Bangladesh Bangladesh [1] Presidential republic (Part of Pakistan) 1971 Parliament
Flag of Botswana Botswana Constitutional monarchy (Commonwealth realm) 1966 Parliament
Flag of Bulgaria Bulgaria One-party state 1947 Directly, by second-round system
Flag of Croatia Croatia One-party state (Part of Yugoslavia) 1991 Directly, by second-round system
Flag of the Czech Republic Czech Republic One-party state (Part of Czechoslovakia) 1993 Parliament, by majority
Flag of Dominica Dominica British overseas territory 1978 Parliament, by majority
Flag of East Timor East Timor Military junta (Occupied by Indonesia) 1999 Directly, by second-round system
Flag of Estonia Estonia One-party state (Part of Soviet Union) 1992 Parliament, by two-thirds majority
Flag of Ethiopia Ethiopia One-party state 1991 Parliament, by two-thirds majority
Flag of Finland Finland Constitutional monarchy (Part of Russian Empire) 1919 Directly, by second-round system
Flag of Germany Germany One-party state 1949 Federal assembly (Parliament and state delegates), by absolute majority
Flag of Greece Greece Military junta 1975 Parliament, by majority
Flag of Hungary Hungary One-party state 1990 Parliament, by absolute majority
Flag of Iceland Iceland Constitutional monarchy (Part of Denmark) 1944 Direct, by transferable vote
 India Constitutional monarchy (Commonwealth realm) 1950 Parliament and state legislators, by single transferable vote
Flag of Iraq Iraq One-party state 2005 Parliament, by two-thirds majority
Flag of Ireland Ireland Constitutional monarchy (Commonwealth realm) 1949 Direct, by single transferable vote
Flag of Israel Israel Protectorate (Part of British Mandate of Palestine) 1948 Parliament, by two-thirds majority
Flag of Italy Italy Constitutional monarchy 1946 Parliament, by majority
Flag of Kiribati Kiribati Protectorate 1979 Citizens
Flag of Latvia Latvia One-party state (Part of Soviet Union) 1991 Parliament
Flag of Lebanon Lebanon Protectorate (French mandate of Lebanon) 1941 Parliament
Flag of Lithuania Lithuania One-party state (Part of Soviet Union) 1990 Direct, by second-round system
Flag of the Republic of Macedonia Macedonia One-party state (Part of the Yugoslavia) 1991 Directly, by second-round system
Flag of Malta Malta Constitutional monarchy (Commonwealth realm) 1974 Parliament, by majority
Flag of the Marshall Islands Marshall Islands UN Trust Territory (Part of Trust Territory of the Pacific Islands) 1979 Parliament
 Mauritius Constitutional monarchy (Commonwealth realm) 1992 Parliament, by majority
Flag of the Federated States of Micronesia Federated States of Micronesia UN Trust Territory (Part of Trust Territory of the Pacific Islands) 1986 Parliament
Flag of Mongolia Mongolia One-party state 1949 Parliament
Flag of Montenegro Montenegro One-party state (Part of Yugoslavia) 1992 Directly, by second-round system
Flag of Nauru Nauru Australian Trust Territory 1968 Parliament
Flag of Poland Poland One-party state 1990 Directly, by second-round system
Flag of Portugal Portugal Military junta 1976 Directly, by second-round system
Flag of Samoa Samoa Territory of New Zealand 2007 Parliament
Flag of Singapore Singapore Constitutional monarchy (Part of Malaysia) 1965 Directly, by second-round system
Flag of Slovakia Slovakia One-party state (Part of Czechoslovakia) 1993 Parliament (before 1999)

Directly, by second-round system (since 1999)

Flag of Slovenia Slovenia One-party state (Part of Yugoslavia) 1991 Directly, by second-round system
Flag of South Africa South Africa Constitutional monarchy (Commonwealth realm) 1961 Parliament, majority
Flag of Suriname Suriname One party Military Dictatorship 1987 Parliament
Flag of Switzerland Switzerland Military junta (Occupied by France) 1802 Parliament [2]
 Trinidad and Tobago Constitutional monarchy (Commonwealth realm) 1976 Parliament
Flag of Turkey Turkey Constitutional monarchy (Ottoman Empire) 1923 Direct (since 2007, previously by parliament)
Flag of Vanuatu Vanuatu Constitutional monarchy (Commonwealth realm) 1980 Parliament and regional council presidents, by majority
Flag of Zimbabwe Zimbabwe Presidential republic 2008 Directly, by second-round system

[edit] List of former Parliamentary republics

Country Year became a Parliamentary republic Year status changed Changed to Status changed due to
 Brazil 1961 1963 Presidential system Referendum
 Chile 1891 1925 Presidential system Referendum
Flag of France French Third Republic 1870 1940 Vichy France and Free France German invasion (World War II)
Flag of France French Fourth Republic 1946 1958 Semi Presidential republic (French Fifth Republic) Political instability
 Fiji 1987 2006 Military junta Military coup (2006)
 Guyana 1970 1980 Semi Presidential republic Constitutional amendment
 Pakistan 1956 Presidential system Constitutional amendment
 Nigeria 1963 1979 Presidential system Constitutional amendment
 Sri Lanka 1972 1978 Presidential system Constitutional amendment
 Uganda 1963 1966 Presidential system Suspension of the constitution

[edit] Notes

  1. ^ In Bangladesh, a Caretaker government takes over for three months during parliamentary elections. The Caretaker government is headed by a Chief adviser (the last Chief Justice to retire), and a group of neutral, non-partisan advisers chosen from the civil society. During this time, the president has jurisdiction over the Ministry of defense and the Ministry of foreign affairs.
  2. ^ There is neither a prime minister nor a president of Switzerland. The President of the Swiss Confederation is merely primus inter pares in the Swiss Federal Council, the seven-member executive council which constitutes the government as well as the head of state of Switzerland.

[edit] See also