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APPROVED FOR RELEASE: 2009/06/16: CIA-RDP01-00707R000200110019-3 '''FIGURE 2. Party and government structure (U/OU)''' (chart)

there are signs that the Honecker regime may be prepared to encourage the legislative body to assume a more meaningful role in the governmental apparatus. In his presentation to the Eighth Party Congress in 1971 Honecker called for "improvement" in the work of the People's Assembly and an increase in its authority. The present body has since begun to meet more frequently than its predecessors, and in March 1972 the tradition of unanimity was broken for the first time when 12 representatives voted against a controversial abortion bill. The results of the People's Chamber election in November 1971 reflected the great sociological changes which have occurred in the last decade. The older generation of functionaries, for the most part, were retired and their positions assumed by a new generation of party activists. Of the 500 deputies, 75% are under age 50. The representatives are also more highly educated; more than one-third have received a university education and 105 have attended specialized trade schools.

2. Executive

The executive branch consists of the Council of State and the Council of Ministers, both of which are constitutionally responsible to the People's Chamber. In practice, the executive is clearly dominant and is

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APPROVED FOR RELEASE: 2009/06/16: CIA-RDP01-00707R000200110019-3