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The Temporary National Representation (), also the Interim National Legislation and the Interim National Parliament, was the first legislative body established in the
Kingdom of Serbs, Croats and Slovenes The Kingdom of Yugoslavia was a country in Southeast and Central Europe that existed from 1918 until 1941. From 1918 to 1929, it was officially called the Kingdom of Serbs, Croats, and Slovenes, but the term "Yugoslavia" () has been its colloq ...
. It was created by the decree of Prince Regent Alexander on 24 February 1919, and convened on 1 March. Its 294 members were appointed by various provincial and regional assemblies or commissions. The main product of its work was the act regulating the election of the Constitutional Assembly. The body's work ceased after the election held on 28 November 1920. The seats in the Temporary National Representation were distributed by province and then assigned to various political parties depending on their representation in provincial and regional legislative bodies prior to the establishment of the Kingdom of Serbs, Croats and Slovenes. The greatest number of seats were assigned to the Democratic Party and the People's Radical Party. The largest traditionally Slovene political party in the interim parliament was the Slovene People's Party. The largest Croatian political party in the Temporary National Representation was the Croatian Union. The Temporary National Representation was set up primarily to prepare for the election of the Constituent Assembly according to the 1917 Corfu Declaration of the government of the
Kingdom of Serbia The Kingdom of Serbia was a country located in the Balkans which was created when the ruler of the Principality of Serbia, Milan I of Serbia, Milan I, was proclaimed king in 1882. Since 1817, the Principality was ruled by the Obrenović dynast ...
and the Yugoslav Committee on the creation of a common state of the
South Slavs South Slavs are Slavic people who speak South Slavic languages and inhabit a contiguous region of Southeast Europe comprising the eastern Alps and the Balkan Peninsula. Geographically separated from the West Slavs and East Slavs by Austria, ...
after the
World War One World War I or the First World War (28 July 1914 – 11 November 1918), also known as the Great War, was a global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies (or Entente) and the Central Powers. Fighting took place mainly in Europe and th ...
. While the Constituent Assembly was to determine the constitution of the new country, the work of the Temporary National Representation was affected by the political struggle of those for and against higher levels of state administrative centralisation. The proponents of greater centralisation successfully used the period of work of the interim parliament to gain an advantage over other designs for the constitution of the country.


Background

On 1 December 1918, Prince Regent Alexander proclaimed the
Kingdom of Serbs, Croats and Slovenes The Kingdom of Yugoslavia was a country in Southeast and Central Europe that existed from 1918 until 1941. From 1918 to 1929, it was officially called the Kingdom of Serbs, Croats, and Slovenes, but the term "Yugoslavia" () has been its colloq ...
. The country was created as a common state of the
South Slavs South Slavs are Slavic people who speak South Slavic languages and inhabit a contiguous region of Southeast Europe comprising the eastern Alps and the Balkan Peninsula. Geographically separated from the West Slavs and East Slavs by Austria, ...
. It was the result of the unification of the
Kingdom of Serbia The Kingdom of Serbia was a country located in the Balkans which was created when the ruler of the Principality of Serbia, Milan I of Serbia, Milan I, was proclaimed king in 1882. Since 1817, the Principality was ruled by the Obrenović dynast ...
(which had previously annexed the
Kingdom of Montenegro The Kingdom of Montenegro was a monarchy in southeastern Europe, present-day Montenegro, during the tumultuous period of time on the Balkan Peninsula leading up to and during World War I. Officially it was a constitutional monarchy, but absolu ...
and the territories of
Banat, Bačka and Baranja Banat, Bačka and Baranya ( sh-Latn-Cyrl, separator=" / ", Banat, Bačka i Baranja, Банат, Бачка и Барања) was a province of the Kingdom of Serbia and the Kingdom of Serbs, Croats and Slovenes between November 1918 and 1922. It ...
, jointly referred to as Vojvodina) with the short-lived
State of Slovenes, Croats and Serbs The State of Slovenes, Croats and Serbs ( / ; ) was a political entity that was constituted in October 1918, at the end of World War I, by Slovenes, Croats and Serbs (Prečani (Serbs), Prečani) residing in what were the southernmost parts of th ...
. The latter was established in the South Slavic parts of the former
Austria-Hungary Austria-Hungary, also referred to as the Austro-Hungarian Empire, the Dual Monarchy or the Habsburg Monarchy, was a multi-national constitutional monarchy in Central Europe#Before World War I, Central Europe between 1867 and 1918. A military ...
during the
dissolution of Austria-Hungary The dissolution of Austria-Hungary was a major political event that occurred as a result of the growth of internal social contradictions and the separation of different parts of Austria-Hungary. The more immediate reasons for the collapse of the ...
in the final days of the
World War One World War I or the First World War (28 July 1914 – 11 November 1918), also known as the Great War, was a global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies (or Entente) and the Central Powers. Fighting took place mainly in Europe and th ...
. In his proclamation, Regent Alexander promised a provisional parliament that would be set up by agreement of the National Council of Slovenes, Croats and Serbs as the governing body in the former Austro-Hungarian lands and representatives of Serbia. Establishment of an interim parliament was also envisaged by the 1917 Corfu Declaration of the Kingdom of Serbia and the Yugoslav Committee, announcing their intention to establish a common state of the South Slavs following the eventual defeat of Austria-Hungary in World War One. The first government of the kingdom was appointed by Regent Alexander alone. The principal political parties started negotiations of the government on 11 December 1918 and came to an agreement that Nikola Pašić should be the prime minister. Regardless of the agreement, on 20 December, Regent Alexander appointed
Stojan Protić Stojan Protić ( sr-cyrl, Стојан Протић; 28 January 1857 – 28 October 1923) was a Serbian politician and writer. He served as the prime minister of the Kingdom of Serbs, Croats, and Slovenes between 1918 and 1919, and again in 1920 ...
( People's Radical Party, NRS) the prime minister. Even though the prime minister belonged to the NRS, 11 of 17 government ministers were drawn from the Democratic Party (DS). Most prominent among them was the interior minister
Svetozar Pribićević Svetozar Pribićević ( sr-Cyrl, Светозар Прибићевић}, ; 26 October 1875 – 15 September 1936) was a Croatian Serb politician in Austria-Hungary and later the Kingdom of Yugoslavia. He was one of the main proponents of Yugoslavi ...
. While Ljubomir Davidović was the formal leader of the DS, Pribićević was seen as the party's "key man". Pribićević's position was reinforced by his close relationship with Regent Alexander.


Establishment

The interim parliament was expected to convene within a month of the government's inauguration. The interim parliament was formally established as the Temporary National Representation (''Privremeno narodno predstavništvo'', PNP) by Regent Alexander's decree of 24 February 1919. It convened for the first time in
Belgrade Belgrade is the Capital city, capital and List of cities in Serbia, largest city of Serbia. It is located at the confluence of the Sava and Danube rivers and at the crossroads of the Pannonian Basin, Pannonian Plain and the Balkan Peninsula. T ...
on 1 March. The proceedings were opened by an address of Regent Alexander. According to the historian
Ivo Banac Ivo Banac (; 1 March 1947 – 30 June 2020) was a Croatian-American historian, a professor of European history at Yale University and a politician of the former Liberal Party in Croatia, known as the Great Bard of Croatian historiography. , Bana ...
, the delay was intended to ensure that the government was free to implement decisions designed to centralise the country without interference from the parliament. The government contested the PNP's right to enact any legislation, except on the procedure of election of the Constituent Assembly and determination of its agenda. The PNP was composed generally of people who had served on a legislative or consultative body. Most of its 294 members were appointed. Regional assemblies appointed 84 representatives of the territory of Serbia before the 1912–1913
Balkan Wars The Balkan Wars were two conflicts that took place in the Balkans, Balkan states in 1912 and 1913. In the First Balkan War, the four Balkan states of Kingdom of Greece (Glücksburg), Greece, Kingdom of Serbia, Serbia, Kingdom of Montenegro, M ...
expansion, 24 representatives of Vojvodina, and 12 representatives of Montenegro. A further 24 representatives of South Serbia province (generally corresponding to territories of present-day
Kosovo Kosovo, officially the Republic of Kosovo, is a landlocked country in Southeast Europe with International recognition of Kosovo, partial diplomatic recognition. It is bordered by Albania to the southwest, Montenegro to the west, Serbia to the ...
and
North Macedonia North Macedonia, officially the Republic of North Macedonia, is a landlocked country in Southeast Europe. It shares land borders with Greece to the south, Albania to the west, Bulgaria to the east, Kosovo to the northwest and Serbia to the n ...
) were elected. The election was undemocratic because it only included voters approved by the authorities and used open ballots. The National Council of Slovenes, Croats and Serbs did not take up the task of selecting its representatives. Instead, the Slovenian politician Albert Kramer drew up a list of representatives for appointment on the authority of Regent Alexander. The representatives of former Austro-Hungarian lands (except Vojvodina) were formally appointed by special committees and their mandates confirmed by the National Council of Slovenes, Croats and Serbs in
Zagreb Zagreb ( ) is the capital (political), capital and List of cities and towns in Croatia#List of cities and towns, largest city of Croatia. It is in the Northern Croatia, north of the country, along the Sava river, at the southern slopes of the ...
, and equivalent bodies established in
Split Split(s) or The Split may refer to: Places * Split, Croatia, the largest coastal city in Croatia * Split Island, Canada, an island in the Hudson Bay * Split Island, Falkland Islands * Split Island, Fiji, better known as Hạfliua Arts, enter ...
and
Sarajevo Sarajevo ( ), ; ''see Names of European cities in different languages (Q–T)#S, names in other languages'' is the Capital city, capital and List of cities in Bosnia and Herzegovina, largest city of Bosnia and Herzegovina, with a population of 2 ...
for
Dalmatia Dalmatia (; ; ) is a historical region located in modern-day Croatia and Montenegro, on the eastern shore of the Adriatic Sea. Through time it formed part of several historical states, most notably the Roman Empire, the Kingdom of Croatia (925 ...
and for
Bosnia and Herzegovina Bosnia and Herzegovina, sometimes known as Bosnia-Herzegovina and informally as Bosnia, is a country in Southeast Europe. Situated on the Balkans, Balkan Peninsula, it borders Serbia to the east, Montenegro to the southeast, and Croatia to th ...
, respectively.
Slovenia Slovenia, officially the Republic of Slovenia, is a country in Central Europe. It borders Italy to the west, Austria to the north, Hungary to the northeast, Croatia to the south and southeast, and a short (46.6 km) coastline within the Adriati ...
was granted 32 delegates to the PNP, Croatia-Slavonia (jointly with the city of
Rijeka Rijeka (; Fiume ( �fjuːme in Italian and in Fiuman dialect, Fiuman Venetian) is the principal seaport and the List of cities and towns in Croatia, third-largest city in Croatia. It is located in Primorje-Gorski Kotar County on Kvarner Ba ...
and the region of Međimurje) had 60,
Istria Istria ( ; Croatian language, Croatian and Slovene language, Slovene: ; Italian language, Italian and Venetian language, Venetian: ; ; Istro-Romanian language, Istro-Romanian: ; ; ) is the largest peninsula within the Adriatic Sea. Located at th ...
had 4, Dalmatia had 12, and Bosnia and Herzegovina had 32. Political parties were allotted seats in proportion to their strength in regional parliaments or diets. Consequently, the HPSS was assigned two seats in the PNP, which the party refused, and the
Communist Party of Yugoslavia The League of Communists of Yugoslavia, known until 1952 as the Communist Party of Yugoslavia, was the founding and ruling party of SFR Yugoslavia. It was formed in 1919 as the main communist opposition party in the Kingdom of Serbs, Croats a ...
(only established in April 1919) was unrepresented. The DS and the NRS held 115 and 69 seats respectively, ensuring majority support for the Protić cabinet. The following leadership of the PNP was appointed: Dragoljub Pavlović, president;
Ivan Ribar Ivan Ribar ( sr-cyr, Иван Рибар, ; 21 January 1881 – 2 February 1968) was a Croatian politician who served in several governments of various forms in Yugoslavia. Ideologically a Yugoslavism, Yugoslavist and Communism, communist, he w ...
and , vice-presidents; Petar Jovanović, Joca Manojlović, Aleksandar Mijović, Josif Bojinović, Ivan Krnic, Pavel Pestotnik, and Dragotin Lončar, secretaries. Pavlović died in April 1920, and was elected to replace him as the president. At the same time, Adolf Ribnikar was elected a vice-president, and Kerubin Šegvić a secretary.


Political currents

There were four principal currents in the PNP regarding the constitution. The DS wanted centralised government. The NRS also advocated centralisation but, unlike the DS, thought that
Serbs The Serbs ( sr-Cyr, Срби, Srbi, ) are a South Slavs, South Slavic ethnic group native to Southeastern Europe who share a common Serbian Cultural heritage, ancestry, Culture of Serbia, culture, History of Serbia, history, and Serbian lan ...
,
Croats The Croats (; , ) are a South Slavs, South Slavic ethnic group native to Croatia, Bosnia and Herzegovina and other neighboring countries in Central Europe, Central and Southeastern Europe who share a common Croatian Cultural heritage, ancest ...
, and
Slovenes The Slovenes, also known as Slovenians ( ), are a South Slavs, South Slavic ethnic group native to Slovenia and adjacent regions in Italy, Austria and Hungary. Slovenes share a common ancestry, Slovenian culture, culture, and History of Slove ...
should be allowed to continue to develop their national and cultural identities separately. Approaches of the DS and the NRS to the centralised government system differed. Namely, the DS, specifically Pribićević, advocated a higher level of centralisation where ethnic and regional diversity were to be suppressed. Pribićević's views on the system of government were endorsed by Regent Alexander. One interpretation of the NRS's position was given by Protić in his proposal for the country's new constitution. That proposal envisaged a level of self-government for historical regions, preservation of the region's specific identities and their representation in the national assembly. The Republican Party advocated a decentralised republic, while the Slovene People's Party (SLS), Croatian Peoples' Peasant Party (HPSS), Croatian Union (HZ) and Montenegrin federalists advocated a
federation A federation (also called a federal state) is an entity characterized by a political union, union of partially federated state, self-governing provinces, states, or other regions under a #Federal governments, federal government (federalism) ...
(union of self-governing states) or a
confederation A confederation (also known as a confederacy or league) is a political union of sovereign states united for purposes of common action. Usually created by a treaty, confederations of states tend to be established for dealing with critical issu ...
(union of
sovereign ''Sovereign'' is a title that can be applied to the highest leader in various categories. The word is borrowed from Old French , which is ultimately derived from the Latin">-4; we might wonder whether there's a point at which it's appropriate to ...
states). The DS and the NRS came into conflict by summer of 1919. While continuing to oppose federalist ideas, the NRS aimed to strengthen its position in the PNP through alliances with the HZ and the SLS – the strongest Croatian and Slovene political parties in 1918 – by moderating its views of centralisation and accusing the DS of extremist views. The conflict led to the collapse of the Protić government and appointment of Davidović as
prime minister A prime minister or chief of cabinet is the head of the cabinet and the leader of the ministers in the executive branch of government, often in a parliamentary or semi-presidential system. A prime minister is not the head of state, but r ...
. Davidović formed a 126-seat minority government with the
Social Democratic Party The name Social Democratic Party or Social Democrats has been used by many political parties in various countries around the world. Such parties are most commonly aligned to social democracy as their political ideology. Active parties Form ...
led by
Vitomir Korać Vitomir Korać (14 April 1877 – 8 September 1941) was a politician born in Šid. In 1896, Korać became a member of the main committee of the Social Democratic Party of Croatia and Slavonia. He advocated cooperation of the social democrats wit ...
. Davidović imposed a two-month recess on the PNP while lobbying to expand parliamentary support. In September 1919, the DS proposed that Regent Alexander dissolve the PNP and call an election, but the regent declined and the government resigned. Davidović's cabinet was replaced by another minority government. It was led by Protić and the NRS in the Parliamentary Union coalition with the HZ and the SLS. The coalition began reversing repressive measures previously introduced against the HPSS and drafted a compromise proposed constitution. It quickly collapsed, unable to secure majority support in the PNP. The lack of support resulted from rumours spread by the DS claiming that the Croatian Committee and foreign powers were colluding against the country, and a wave of strikes led by the communists. Regent Alexander then appointed
Milenko Radomar Vesnić Milenko (Cyrillic script: Миленко) is a name of Slavic origin, primarily used as a masculine given name. Notable people named Milenko include: People named Milenko As a given name * Milenko Simunovic Mile Istina * Milenko Ačimovič (b ...
(NRS) as prime minister, tasking him with forming a government with the DS. The NRS brought its position on centralisation closer to the DS, while the DS compromised on issues of
land reform Land reform (also known as agrarian reform) involves the changing of laws, regulations, or customs regarding land ownership, land use, and land transfers. The reforms may be initiated by governments, by interested groups, or by revolution. Lan ...
. The Vesnić cabinet proposed and the PNP passed the regulation on election of the Constitutional Assembly. The legislation restricted the Constitutional Assembly deliberations to two years and implicitly gave the king (or the regent) the right to dissolve the Assembly.


Legislative work and dissolution

The PNP considered 47 legislative measures but failed to enact 35 of them. According to the historian John R. Lampe, the failure is attributable to Pribićević's divisive actions as interior minister. The PNP worked in the circumstances where Pribićević, in his role of a government minister, was issuing administrative regulations, dismissing and hiring officials. The arbitrariness of his actions led to conflicts between the DS and the NRS as well as within Pribićević's own party. Pribićević's actions caused significant dissatisfaction in Croatia. While the HPSS led by Stjepan Radić, as a rising political power in Croatia, boycotted the work of the PNP, Protić felt he could come to an agreement with Radić. Conversely, Pribićević opposed any arrangement and repeatedly urged Protić to deploy the army to Croatia to quell government opposition. Protić's inability to come to an agreement with both Radić and Pribićević left the government without support of majority of the PNP members. Even though he made a promise not to rule without consent of the provisional legislative, Protić resorted to ruling by issuing government decrees. The PNP held 137 sittings, enacting the following acts: Calendar Alignment Act; Suspension and Enforcement Limits Act; Ljubljana University Act; University Act; Legal and Notarial Practice Rights Settlements Act; National Schools Act; Jury Act; Moratorium Act; Spas, Mineral and Hot Water Act; Citizenship Act; Act on the Peace Treaty Between the Allied Powers and Germany; Act on the Peace Treaty Between the Allied Powers and Bulgaria; and the Constitutional Assembly Members Election Act, which was enacted on 3 September 1920. The Constitutional Assembly was elected on 28 November 1920 and thus the PNP's mandate ended. The PNP never enacted the Constitutional Assembly's
rules of order Parliamentary procedures are the accepted rules, ethics, and customs governing meetings of an assembly or organization. Their object is to allow orderly deliberation upon questions of interest to the organization and thus to arrive at the sense ...
. This was achieved by a government decree after the elections. Most significantly, the rules of order ignored the demand by the National Council of Slovenes, Croats and Serbs that the constitution be adopted by two-thirds majority. Instead, the rules of order required only a simple majority for the task. The Corfu Declaration had called for a
qualified majority A supermajority is a requirement for a proposal to gain a specified level of support which is greater than the threshold of one-half used for a simple majority. Supermajority rules in a democracy can help to prevent a majority from eroding fund ...
, but the rules of order required absolute majority of all members sworn. The government argued that going beyond the majority of all members present and voting was sufficient to count as a qualified majority in the spirit of the Corfu Declaration.


References


Sources

* * * * * * * {{refend Government of Yugoslavia Kingdom of Yugoslavia Politics of Yugoslavia 1919 establishments in Yugoslavia 1920 disestablishments in Yugoslavia