After the occupation of Czechoslovakia in 1968 liberalisation reforms were halted and then reversed. The only significant exception was the federalization of the country. The former centralist state of Czechoslovakia was divided in two: the "Czech Socialist Republic" and "Slovak Socialist Republic" by the Constitutional Law of Federation of 28 October 1968, which came into effect on 1 January 1969. New national parliaments (the Czech National Council and the Slovak National Council) were created and the old parliament of Czechoslovakia was renamed the "Federal Assembly" and was divided in two chambers: the "House of the People" (, ) and the "House of Nations" (, ). Very complicated rules of voting were put in effect.