The National Council of Government ( es, Consejo Nacional de Gobierno) was the ruling body in
Uruguay
Uruguay (; ), officially the Oriental Republic of Uruguay ( es, República Oriental del Uruguay), is a country in South America. It shares borders with Argentina to its west and southwest and Brazil to its north and northeast; while bordering ...
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,The Constitution
Library of Congress Country Studies
The Country Studies are works published by the Federal Research Division of the United States Library of Congress, freely available for use by researchers. No copyright is claimed on them. Therefore, they have been dedicated to the public domain a ...
it had previously existed as the
National Council of Administration
The National Council of Administration ( es, Consejo Nacional de Administración) was part of the executive power in Uruguay between 1919 and 1933, ruling alongside the President of the Republic.Nohlen, D (2005) ''Elections in the Americas: A data handbook, Volume II'', p489
History
The colegiado system had been first proposed by President
José Batlle y Ordóñez
José Pablo Torcuato Batlle y Ordóñez ( or ; 23 May 1856 in Montevideo, Uruguay – 20 October 1929), nicknamed ''Don Pepe'', was a prominent Uruguayan politician, who served two terms as President of Uruguay for the Colorado Party. He w ...
in 1913, with the aim of creating an executive body similar to the Swiss Federal Council. Batlle had been opposed to the presidential system, believing that a collegiate body would lower the risk of a dictatorship emerging. Batlle negotiated a compromise with the National Party providing for a President and a nine-member
National Council of Administration
The National Council of Administration ( es, Consejo Nacional de Administración) was part of the executive power in Uruguay between 1919 and 1933, ruling alongside the President of the Republic.Gabriel Terra
José Luis Gabriel Terra Leivas ( Montevideo, 1 August 1873 - Montevideo, 15 September 1942) was a lawyer and politician of batllista origin in Uruguay, and advisor to all Uruguayan governments on diplomatic, Economic and financial issu ...
in 1933. A new constitution was drawn up, which abolished the NCA.Constitutional amendments were put forward in 1951 which would re-establish the colegiado system, and were approved in a referendum. The new constitution came into force on 25 January 1952, and abolished the presidency. In its place was a nine-member National Council of Government (NCG), with six members from the winning party and three from the second party. The presidency of the NCG rotated among the members of the majority party. The president could only choose four members of the NCG from his own faction. The other two members of the majority party, along with the three minority members, were elected by separate votes in both houses of the legislature, with a two-thirds majority required for election.
The new NCG was found to be ineffective. The president lacked effective control over the ministers, and majorities were rarely united. Public opinion turned against the body, and a 1966 referendum abolished the body and re-established the presidency. The new constitution took effect on 15 February 1967.
Membership
The first National Council of Government was presided by incumbent President
Andrés Martínez Trueba
Andrés Martínez Trueba (11 February 1884 – 19 December 1959) was the President of Uruguay from 1951 to 1955.
Background
Martínez Trueba was born in Montevideo and grew up in the Peñarol area, graduating from university with a degree i ...
until 1 March 1955. Afterwards, the Presidency of the Council was held on a yearly basis. Twelve citizens presided in succession: four Colorados (
Luis Batlle Berres
Luis Conrado Batlle y Berres (26 November 1897 – 15 July 1964) was a Uruguayan political figure.
Background
Batlle Berres was a journalist and prominent member of the Uruguayan Colorado Party. He was selected — in hindsight, with far- ...
,
Alberto Fermín Zubiría Alberto Fermín Zubiría Urtiague (9 October 1901 – 4 October 1971) was a Uruguayan political figure, who served as the third President of the National Council of Government of Uruguay, the nominal head of a state in a nine-member executive counc ...
,
Arturo Lezama Arturo Lezama Bagez (1899–1964) was a Uruguayan political figure.
Background
Lezama was a prominent member of the Uruguayan Colorado Party which ruled the country for lengthy periods, and was President of the Chamber of Deputies in 1951 and 195 ...
and
Carlos Fischer Carlos Lorenzo Fischer Brusoni (1903 – 7 August 1969) was a Uruguayan political figure. He was President of Uruguay from 1958 to 1959, at the end of a long period of rule by Presidents of the Colorado Party not to be resumed by that party until 1 ...
) and eight Blancos (
Martín Echegoyen
Martín Ricardo Echegoyen (3 April 1891 in Montevideo – 18 May 1974 in Montevideo) was a Uruguayan political figure. In the years 1959 to 1960 he was President of the Uruguayan National Council of Government.
Political background
Echegoye ...
,
Benito Nardone
Benito Nardone Cetrulo (November 22, 1906 – March 25, 1964) was a Uruguayan journalist and political figure.
Biography
Nardone was born at Montevideo, the son of an Italian immigrant.
For many years he was a popular radio commentator at CX 4 ...
,
Eduardo Víctor Haedo
Eduardo Víctor Haedo 'Eduardo Víctor Haedo', Wikipedia (in Spanish)
:es:Eduardo Víctor Haedo ( Mercedes, Soriano, July 28, 1901 – November 15, 1970) was a Uruguayan political figure.
Background
Haedo was a prominent member of the ...
,
Faustino Harrison
Faustino Harrison Usoz (21 May 1900, Chamangà, Flores Department – 20 August 1963, Montevideo)
was a Uruguayan political figure.
President of the National Council of Government
He was President of the Uruguayan National Council of Gove ...
,
Daniel Fernández Crespo
Daniel Fernández Crespo (28 April 1901 – 28 July 1964) was a Uruguayan political figure.
Background and early career
Fernández Crespo belonged to the National Party, and entered politics in the early 1930s. Formerly a schoolteacher, b ...
,
Luis Giannattasio Luis Giannattasio Finocchietti (19 November 1894 – 7 February 1965) was a Uruguayan political figure.
Background
Giannattasio was an engineer by profession and a leading member of the Uruguayan Blanco (National) Party.
From 1959 to 1963 ...
,
Washington Beltrán Washington Beltrán Mullin (6 April 1914, Montevideo – 19 February 2003) was a Uruguayan political figure.
Background
A journalist by profession, and son of deputy Washington Beltrán Barbat, who was killed in 1920 in a duel with former Colora ...
, and
Alberto Héber Usher
Alberto Héber Usher (May 1, 1918 – January 19, 1981) was a Uruguayan politician, who served as President of Uruguay from March 1, 1966, to March 1, 1967.
Background
Héber was born in Montevideo. His parents were Blanca Usher Conde and Alb ...
Consejo Nacional de Administración
The National Council of Administration ( es, Consejo Nacional de Administración) was part of the executive power in Uruguay between 1919 and 1933, ruling alongside the President of the Republic.Constitution of Uruguay of 1952
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.
Overview
On July 31, 1951, a formal pact betwe ...