1974 Yugoslavian parliamentary election explained

Country:Federal People's Republic of Yugoslavia
Type:parliamentary
Previous Election:1969 Yugoslavian parliamentary election
Previous Year:1969
Next Election:1978 Yugoslavian parliamentary election
Next Year:1978
Seats For Election:All 220 seats in the Federal Chamber
All 88 seats in the Chamber of Republics and Provinces
Image1:President Tito van Joegoslavië, Bestanddeelnr 923-9241 (cropped).jpg
Leader1:Josip Broz Tito
Party1:League of Communists of Yugoslavia
Alliance1:SSRNJ
Seats1:220
Prime Minister
Posttitle:Prime Minister after election
Before Election:Džemal Bijedić
After Election:Džemal Bijedić
Before Party:League of Communists of Yugoslavia
After Party:League of Communists of Yugoslavia

Parliamentary elections were held in Yugoslavia between 16 March and 10 May 1974 through a complicated delegate system which selected delegates to local, republic, and federal assemblies.[1]

Background

The elections were the first held under the new constitution adopted on 31 January 1974. It provided for a bicameral Assembly with a 220-member Federal Chamber and an 88-member Chamber of Republics and Provinces.[1]

Electoral system

The members of the Federal Chamber represented three groups; self-managing organisations, communities and socio-political organisations. Thirty members were elected from each of the six republics and 20 from the two autonomous provinces, Kosovo and Vojvodina.[1]

In late March, voters elected representatives of basic labour organisations. These in turn elected the Communal Assemblies in early April. The Communal Assemblies then elected the members of the Federal Chamber between 22 and 29 April.[1]

The members of the Chamber of Republics were elected by the Assemblies of the six republics and provinces, with each republic electing 12 members and Kosovo and Vojvodina electing eight each. Members were elected in a period ending on 10 May.[1]

Communal assemblies, April

Communal assemblies were elected by local delegates elected by self-managing organisations, communities and socio-political organisations in early April. They subsequently each elected a President of the Assembly equivalent to a mayor. There were a total of 501 such tricameral communal assemblies in the country. For some of the larger cities:

CityPresident of the AssemblyParty
BelgradeŽivorad KovačevićSKJ
LjubljanaTone Kovič SKJ
NišVladimir Petrović SKJ
Novi SadJovan DejanovićSKJ
PodgoricaMiro PopovićSKJ
RijekaNikola PavletićSKJ
SarajevoDane MaljkovićSKJ
SkopjeMetodi AntonovSKJ
SplitVjekoslav VidjakSKJ
SuboticaJózsef Dékány SKJ
ZagrebIvo VrhovecSKJ

Republic and provincial assemblies convened, April

In April and May inaugural sessions of all three chambers of the republics' and provinces' assemblies convened for the first time and elected the presidents of all their bodies.

RepublicPresident of the
Assembly
Party
SR Bosnia and Herzegovina Hamdija PozderacSKJ
SR CroatiaIvo PerišinSKJ
SR MacedoniaBlagoja TaleskiSKJ
SR MontenegroBudislav ŠoškićSKJ
SR SerbiaŽivan VasiljevićSKJ
SR SloveniaMarijan BreceljSKJ
SAP VojvodinaSreten KovačevićSKJ

Republic Presidencies and Executive Councils, April

RepublicPresident of the
Presidency
Took officePartyPresident of Executive CouncilTook officeParty
SR Bosnia and Herzegovina Ratomir DugonjićMay 1974SKJMilanko RenovicaApril 1974SKJ
SR CroatiaJakov Blažević8 May 1974SKJJakov Sirotković8 May 1974SKJ
SR MacedoniaVidoe Smilevski6 May 1974SKJBlagoj PopovApril 1974SKJ
SR MontenegroVeljko Milatović5 April 1974SKJMarko Orlandić6 May 1974SKJ
SR SerbiaDragoslav Marković6 May 1974SKJDušan Čkrebić6 May 1974SKJ
SR SloveniaSergej KraigherMay 1974SKJAndrej MarincMay 1974SKJ

Council of Republics and Provinces elected by 10 May

By 10 May the assemblies of the republics and provinces elected members from each of their three constituent councils (Associated Labour, Socio-Political, and Municipal) to serve dual mandates within their republic or province and within the Federal Council of Republics and Provinces.[1] Each republic sent 12 members to the council, while the two provinces sent 8 each.

Republic
or province
Council of Associated
Labour members
Council of Municipalities
members
Socio-Political Council
members
Total
SR Bosnia and Herzegovina 03811
SR Croatia12912
SAP Kosovo3238
SR Macedonia03912
SR Montenegro04812
SR Serbia31812
SR Slovenia32712
SAP Vojvodina0178
Total10185987

Assembly convened, 15 May

On 15 May a joint session of both chambers of the Assembly convened for the first time and elected the presidents of all the bodies.

Role OfficialTook officePartyRepresenting
President of the Assembly15 May 1974SKJSR Macedonia
Vice President of the Assembly15 May 1974SKJSR Croatia
Vice President of the Assembly15 May 1974SKJSR Montenegro
Vice President of the Assembly15 May 1974SKJSAP Kosovo
Vice President of the Assembly15 May 1974SKJSR Bosnia and Herzegovina
Vice President of the Assembly15 May 1974SKJSR Serbia
President of the Federal Council15 May 1974SKJSAP Vojvodina
President of the Council of Republics and Provinces15 May 1974SKJSR Slovenia

President and Presidency, 16 May

On 16 May a joint assembly of both chambers of the Assembly re-elected President of the League of Communists Josip Broz Tito as President of the Republic. Article 333 of the new constitution affirmed Tito's right to serve as president-for-life at the discretion of the Assembly.

The Assembly also confirmed the members of the collective Presidency selected by individual republic and provincial assemblies on 16 May.

Role in PresidencyOfficialTook officePartyRepresenting
16 May 1974SKJSR Serbia
Member16 May 1974SKJSR Macedonia
Member16 May 1974SKJSR Montenegro
Member16 May 1974SKJSAP Vojvodina
Member16 May 1974SKJSAP Kosovo
MemberCvijetin Mijatović16 May 1974SKJSR Bosnia and Herzegovina
Member16 May 1974SKJSR Slovenia
Member16 May 1974SKJSR Croatia

Federal Executive Council elected, 17 May

On 17 May a new Federal Executive Council was elected with Džemal Bijedić serving as its president.

Notes and References

  1. http://www.ipu.org/parline-e/reports/arc/YUGOSLAVIA_1974_E.PDF Yugoslavia