1895 Serbian parliamentary election explained

Election Name:1895 Serbian parliamentary election
Country:Kingdom of Serbia
Type:parliamentary
Ongoing:no
Previous Election:May 1893 Serbian parliamentary election
Previous Year:1893
Next Election:1897 Serbian parliamentary election
Next Year:1897
Election Date:7 April 1895
Image1:Milutin Garasanin1.jpg
Leader1:Milutin Garašanin
Party1:Serbian Progressive Party (Kingdom of Serbia)
Seats1:208
Leader2:Jovan Avakumović
Party2:Liberal Party (Kingdom of Serbia)
Seats2:30
Image3:NikolaPasic--serbiaherpeopleh00petruoft.png
Leader3:Nikola Pašić
Party3:People's Radical Party
Seats3:2

Parliamentary elections were held in Serbia in April 1895. They followed a royal coup d'état by King Alexander in May 1894, in which he suspended the 1888 constitution and restored the 1869 constitution.[1]

Background

Whilst the 1888 constitution had increased the number of people eligible to vote, reverting to the 1869 constitution saw the government given the right to appoint one-third of the members of the National Assembly,[1] whilst in many constituencies the Assembly members were elected indirectly through electoral colleges.[2] The changes were expected to reduce the number of candidates of the People's Radical Party elected to the assembly.[3]

Results

The People's Radical Party boycotted the election, citing government interference.[4]

The elections resulted in a victory for the Progressive Party government. Only six members of the People's Radical Party were elected, as well as 30 Liberals. Of the sixty appointed members, 49 were supporters of the government.

Notes and References

  1. "Coup D'état In Servia", The Times, 22 May 1894
  2. "The Servian Elections", The Times, 22 April 1895
  3. "The Crisis In Servia", The Times, 23 May 1894
  4. Dunning. Wm. A.. 1895. Record of Political Events. Political Science Quarterly. 10. 2. 385. 10.2307/2139748. 0032-3195.