Council of the Institute for the Study of Totalitarian Regimes

The supreme body of the Institute for the Study of Totalitarian Regimes (hereinafter the Institute) is the Council, comprised of seven members who are elected and recalled by the Senate of the Parliament of the Czech Republic (hereinafter the Senate). Candidates for Council members are proposed to the Senate by the Chamber of Deputies, the President of the Republic, and by civic associations or other legal persons engaged in historical research, archival activities, education or human rights protection, or civic associations of participants in the resistance movement against Nazism or in resistance and opposition against communism, or those associating former political prisoners.

Of all the nominated candidates, the Senate elects two Council members from the candidates nominated by the Chamber of Deputies, one Council member from the candidates nominated by the President of the Republic, and four Council members from the candidates nominated by civic associations.

Council members are elected for a five year’s term of office. No one may be elected more than twice in succession.

The powers of the Institute Council are governed by provisions of Section 9 of Act No. 181/2007 Coll.

  • On 5 December 2007, the Senate of the Parliament of the Czech Republic duly elected six members of the Institute Council, including:
  • The Council elected Naděžda Kavalírová as its chairwoman and Ivan Dejmal as its vice-chairman at its first session held on 13 December 2007.
  • Vice-chairman of the Institute Council Ivan Dejmal died after a short serious disease on 6 February 2008.
  • On 14 February 2008, the Council elected Mgr. Patrik Benda as its vice-chairman.
  • The Senate of the Parliament of the Czech Republic duly elected Jan Zahradníček as the sixth member of the Institute Council on 20 March 2008.
  • The Institute Council approved the Plan of Activity of the Institute for the Study of Totalitarian Regimes for the year 2008 at its eighth session on 15 April 2008.
  • On August 30, 2008, the Senate of the Parliament of the Czech Republic duly elected Petruška Šustrová as the seventh member of the Institute Council.