Albanian parliamentary election, 1945
Encyclopedia
Parliamentary elections were held in Albania
on 2 December 1945. The Democratic Front
was the only organisation allowed to nominate candidates, and won all 82 seats. Voter turnout was reported to be 89.9%.
Democratic Government of Albania
was established on October 20, 1944 by a second meeting of the Anti-Fascist National Liberation Council. Its interim Prime Minister was First Secretary Enver Hoxha
of the Communist Party of Albania. The Communists replaced the National Liberation Front with the reorganized Democratic Front
in August of 1945 with Hoxha as its Chairman.
During the elections no other political organization was allowed to nominate candidates besides the Communist-dominated Democratic Front. A member of the Front, Gjergj Kokoshi, was one of the few who protested this, and a rebuttal was offered by another Front member named Siri Shapllo who stated that, "The fact that no other group has been able to organize itself after ten months of liberation, means that the creation of such groups has not been in the interests of the people. The people are with the Front. If there are some who want to organize themselves outside the Front, let them try, but they will run up against the strength of the Front and will lose. There is nothing we can do about this."
Despite widespread intimidation and coercion, eighteen candidates did stand as independents
in districts where the Front had a minor presence. Two candidates stood in direct opposition to the Front—though one withdrew a day before the election was held. As the overwhelming majority of the population was illiterate, there were no voting papers. Voting was conducted through a small rubber ball stamped with a black eagle; the voter dropped it into a red box for the Front, and a black box for a non-Front candidate. The voter had to put his or her hands into both boxes, in effect instituting the equivalent of a secret ballot
.
. Hoxha remained as Prime Minister of Albania until 1954, when the post was transferred to Mehmet Shehu
.
Albania
Albania , officially known as the Republic of Albania , is a country in Southeastern Europe, in the Balkans region. It is bordered by Montenegro to the northwest, Kosovo to the northeast, the Republic of Macedonia to the east and Greece to the south and southeast. It has a coast on the Adriatic Sea...
on 2 December 1945. The Democratic Front
Democratic Front (Albania)
The Democratic Front was an Albanian political mass organization formed on August 5, 1945 to succeed the National Liberation Front as the leading political movement for recently liberated Albania under the leadership of Enver Hoxha. It was administered by the Party of Labour of Albania...
was the only organisation allowed to nominate candidates, and won all 82 seats. Voter turnout was reported to be 89.9%.
Background
As the Albanian partisan resistance of 1940-1944 came to a close, a provisionalProvisional government
A provisional government is an emergency or interim government set up when a political void has been created by the collapse of a very large government. The early provisional governments were created to prepare for the return of royal rule...
Democratic Government of Albania
Democratic Government of Albania
As the Albanian partisan resistance of 1940-1944 came to a close, a provisional Democratic Government of Albania was established on October 20, 1944 by a second meeting of the Anti-Fascist National Liberation Council. It fully took power after the liberation of the country from German forces on...
was established on October 20, 1944 by a second meeting of the Anti-Fascist National Liberation Council. Its interim Prime Minister was First Secretary Enver Hoxha
Enver Hoxha
Enver Halil Hoxha was a Marxist–Leninist revolutionary andthe leader of Albania from the end of World War II until his death in 1985, as the First Secretary of the Party of Labour of Albania...
of the Communist Party of Albania. The Communists replaced the National Liberation Front with the reorganized Democratic Front
Democratic Front (Albania)
The Democratic Front was an Albanian political mass organization formed on August 5, 1945 to succeed the National Liberation Front as the leading political movement for recently liberated Albania under the leadership of Enver Hoxha. It was administered by the Party of Labour of Albania...
in August of 1945 with Hoxha as its Chairman.
During the elections no other political organization was allowed to nominate candidates besides the Communist-dominated Democratic Front. A member of the Front, Gjergj Kokoshi, was one of the few who protested this, and a rebuttal was offered by another Front member named Siri Shapllo who stated that, "The fact that no other group has been able to organize itself after ten months of liberation, means that the creation of such groups has not been in the interests of the people. The people are with the Front. If there are some who want to organize themselves outside the Front, let them try, but they will run up against the strength of the Front and will lose. There is nothing we can do about this."
Despite widespread intimidation and coercion, eighteen candidates did stand as independents
Independent (politician)
In politics, an independent or non-party politician is an individual not affiliated to any political party. Independents may hold a centrist viewpoint between those of major political parties, a viewpoint more extreme than any major party, or they may have a viewpoint based on issues that they do...
in districts where the Front had a minor presence. Two candidates stood in direct opposition to the Front—though one withdrew a day before the election was held. As the overwhelming majority of the population was illiterate, there were no voting papers. Voting was conducted through a small rubber ball stamped with a black eagle; the voter dropped it into a red box for the Front, and a black box for a non-Front candidate. The voter had to put his or her hands into both boxes, in effect instituting the equivalent of a secret ballot
Secret ballot
The secret ballot is a voting method in which a voter's choices in an election or a referendum are anonymous. The key aim is to ensure the voter records a sincere choice by forestalling attempts to influence the voter by intimidation or bribery. The system is one means of achieving the goal of...
.
Results
| Party | Votes | % | Seats |
|---|---|---|---|
| Democratic Front Democratic Front (Albania) The Democratic Front was an Albanian political mass organization formed on August 5, 1945 to succeed the National Liberation Front as the leading political movement for recently liberated Albania under the leadership of Enver Hoxha. It was administered by the Party of Labour of Albania... |
505,304 | 93.7 | 82 |
| Non-Front | 37,906 | 6.3 | – |
| Invalid/blank votes | 0 | – | – |
| Total | 542,400 | 100 | 82 |
| Source: Nohlen & Stöver | |||
Aftermath
On 11 January 1946, the People's Republic of Albania was proclaimed following the formation of a Constituent AssemblyConstituent assembly
A constituent assembly is a body composed for the purpose of drafting or adopting a constitution...
. Hoxha remained as Prime Minister of Albania until 1954, when the post was transferred to Mehmet Shehu
Mehmet Shehu
Mehmet Ismail Shehu was an Albanian communist politician who served as premier of Albania from 1954 to 1981...
.
Sources
- Miranda Vickers. The Albanians: A Modern History. New York: I.B. Tauris, 2000. p. 159, 164.