The United State Political Department (O.G.P.U.), the suc cessor to the former secret police department of the Tsarist re gime, is entrusted with a political mandate "to suppress political and economic counter-revolution, espionage and banditism." It works for the stability of the Communist regime. "The O.G.P.U. directs the work of the local organs of the State Political Department through its agents attached to the Council of People's Commissaries of the United Republics acting in accordance with a special statute to be confirmed by legislative act. Supervision of the legality of the actions of the O.G.P.U. is carried out by the procurator of the Supreme Court of the U.S.S.R. on the basis of a special resolution of the Central Executive Committee of the U.S.S.R." (Chapter IX. of the Constitution of the U.S.S.R., 1923.) This procurator is appointed by the praesidium of the Central Executive Committee.
The permanent governing body of the U.S.S.R. is the praesi dium of the Central Executive Committee (Tz.I.K.). The Tz.I.K. derives from the Congress of Soviets (see below). The Praesi dium naturally includes some of the leaders of the Communist Party, and is therefore in close touch with the Party executive. It consists of 21 members, seven representing the Praesidium of the Federal Council, seven representing the Praesidium of the Council of Nationalities and seven elected by the two Councils in joint session. The Central Executive Committee is divided into two chambers, the Federal Council (414 members) and the Council of Nationalities (ion members). There are six chairmen of the Central Executive Committee, one representing each of the six constituent republics. The praesidium of the Tz.I.K. transacts all current legislative work and part of the administrative work, and is responsible to the Central Executive Committee, while during the intervals between the meetings of the Central Execu tive Committee (which meets three times per annum upon notice from the praesidium) it is the legislative, executive and administra tive organ of authority of the U.S.S.R. The following extracts
from chapter V. of the 1923 Constitution explain its powers:— I. The praesidium of the Central Executive Committee super vises the carrying into effect of the Constitution of the U.S.S.R., and the execution of all resolutions of the Congress of Soviets and the Central Executive Committee of the U.S.S.R. by all organs of authority.
2. It has the right to suspend and repeal the resolutions of the Council of People's Commissaries and individual Commissariats of the U.S.S.R. and also of the Central Executive Committees and Council of People's Commissaries of Union Republics.
3. It has the right to suspend resolutions of the Congresses of Soviets of Union Republics and subsequently to present such resolutions for examination and confirmation by the Central Executive Committee of the U.S.S.R.
4. It issues decrees, resolutions and ordinances and examines and confirms draft decrees and resolutions submitted by other organs e.g., the Central Executive Committees of the separate republics.
5. It settles questions of the mutual relations between the Council of People's Commissaries of the U.S.S.R. on the one hand, and the Central Executive Committee of the united repub lics and their praesidiums on the other.