League of Communists of Kosovo
Encyclopedia
The League of Communists of Kosovo was the Kosovo
branch of the League of Communists of Yugoslavia
, the sole legal party of Yugoslavia
from 1945 to 1990.
, the Communist Party of Kosovo was founded in 1944 after the new country was formed. The status of an honorary autonomous province was presented to ethnic Albanian communists who helped the Yugoslav partizans in their struggles during World War II
, carved out from the section of the former Ottoman province
within the Socialist Republic of Serbia
(i.e. whilst one chunk of the former province was given to Albania
in 1912, the other sections of it were awarded to Yugoslavia's newly created republics: Montenegro
and Macedonia
). The new party was given the task of running certain local affairs. In 1952, the party was renamed the League of Communists of Kosovo.
From its creation, Kosovo's administration lacked real power. With various revisions of the constitution, the LCK was granted more and more power until when the new constitution
was ratified in 1974, greater power was devolved to all branches.
During the early 1990s, growing ethnic tensions between the republics of Yugoslavia led to the breakup of the federal party — the Kosovo Communists wanted to upgrade Kosovo from an autonomous republic within Serbia
to the 7th socialist republic of Yugoslavia, with the same status of Croatia
, Montenegro
, Bosnia
, Macedonia
, Slovenia
and Serbia proper.
On October 12, 1990, it ceased to exist due to amendments to the constitution reverting Kosovo to its pre-1974 status by Slobodan Milosević
.
Kosovo
Kosovo is a region in southeastern Europe. Part of the Ottoman Empire for more than five centuries, later the Autonomous Province of Kosovo and Metohija within Serbia...
branch of the League of Communists of Yugoslavia
League of Communists of Yugoslavia
League of Communists of Yugoslavia , before 1952 the Communist Party of Yugoslavia League of Communists of Yugoslavia (Serbo-Croatian: Savez komunista Jugoslavije/Савез комуниста Југославије, Slovene: Zveza komunistov Jugoslavije, Macedonian: Сојуз на комунистите на Југославија, Sojuz na...
, the sole legal party of Yugoslavia
Yugoslavia
Yugoslavia refers to three political entities that existed successively on the western part of the Balkans during most of the 20th century....
from 1945 to 1990.
History and background
Unlike the various factions throughout Yugoslavia which composed the League of Communists of YugoslaviaLeague of Communists of Yugoslavia
League of Communists of Yugoslavia , before 1952 the Communist Party of Yugoslavia League of Communists of Yugoslavia (Serbo-Croatian: Savez komunista Jugoslavije/Савез комуниста Југославије, Slovene: Zveza komunistov Jugoslavije, Macedonian: Сојуз на комунистите на Југославија, Sojuz na...
, the Communist Party of Kosovo was founded in 1944 after the new country was formed. The status of an honorary autonomous province was presented to ethnic Albanian communists who helped the Yugoslav partizans in their struggles during World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
, carved out from the section of the former Ottoman province
Kosovo Province, Ottoman Empire
The Vilayet of Kosovo was a vilayet of the Ottoman Empire in the Balkan Peninsula which included the current territory of Kosovo and the western part of the Republic of Macedonia...
within the Socialist Republic of Serbia
Socialist Republic of Serbia
Socialist Republic of Serbia was a socialist state that was a constituent country of the Socialist Federal Republic of Yugoslavia. It is a predecessor of modern day Serbia, which served as the biggest republic in the Yugoslav federation and held the largest population of all the Yugoslav...
(i.e. whilst one chunk of the former province was given to Albania
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...
in 1912, the other sections of it were awarded to Yugoslavia's newly created republics: Montenegro
Socialist Republic of Montenegro
Socialist Republic of Montenegro or SR Montenegro in shortened form, was a socialist state that was a constituent country in the former Socialist Federal Republic of Yugoslavia. It is a predecessor of the modern day Montenegro...
and Macedonia
Socialist Republic of Macedonia
The Socialist Republic of Macedonia was a socialist state that was a constituent country of the former Socialist Federal Republic of Yugoslavia...
). The new party was given the task of running certain local affairs. In 1952, the party was renamed the League of Communists of Kosovo.
From its creation, Kosovo's administration lacked real power. With various revisions of the constitution, the LCK was granted more and more power until when the new constitution
Constitution of the Socialist Federal Republic of Yugoslavia
The Constitution of the Socialist Federal Republic of Yugoslavia was the supreme law of S.F.R. Yugoslavia and its predecessor, the Federal People's Republic of Yugoslavia .-Federal constitutions:...
was ratified in 1974, greater power was devolved to all branches.
During the early 1990s, growing ethnic tensions between the republics of Yugoslavia led to the breakup of the federal party — the Kosovo Communists wanted to upgrade Kosovo from an autonomous republic within Serbia
Socialist Republic of Serbia
Socialist Republic of Serbia was a socialist state that was a constituent country of the Socialist Federal Republic of Yugoslavia. It is a predecessor of modern day Serbia, which served as the biggest republic in the Yugoslav federation and held the largest population of all the Yugoslav...
to the 7th socialist republic of Yugoslavia, with the same status of Croatia
Socialist Republic of Slovenia
The Socialist Republic of Slovenia was a socialist state that was a constituent country of the Socialist Federal Republic of Yugoslavia from 1943 until 1990...
, Montenegro
Socialist Republic of Montenegro
Socialist Republic of Montenegro or SR Montenegro in shortened form, was a socialist state that was a constituent country in the former Socialist Federal Republic of Yugoslavia. It is a predecessor of the modern day Montenegro...
, Bosnia
Socialist Republic of Bosnia and Herzegovina
Socialist Republic of Bosnia and Herzegovina , known until 1963 under the name of People's Republic of Bosnia and Herzegovina, was a socialist state that was a constituent country of the former Socialist Federal Republic of Yugoslavia...
, Macedonia
Socialist Republic of Macedonia
The Socialist Republic of Macedonia was a socialist state that was a constituent country of the former Socialist Federal Republic of Yugoslavia...
, Slovenia
Socialist Republic of Slovenia
The Socialist Republic of Slovenia was a socialist state that was a constituent country of the Socialist Federal Republic of Yugoslavia from 1943 until 1990...
and Serbia proper.
On October 12, 1990, it ceased to exist due to amendments to the constitution reverting Kosovo to its pre-1974 status by Slobodan Milosević
Slobodan Milošević
Slobodan Milošević was President of Serbia and Yugoslavia. He served as the President of Socialist Republic of Serbia and Republic of Serbia from 1989 until 1997 in three terms and as President of the Federal Republic of Yugoslavia from 1997 to 2000...
.
Leaders
President of the Provincial Committee of the League of Communists (Secretary before 1966)- Miladin Popović (September 1944 - March 1945) (b.1910 - d.1945)
- Đorđije Pajković (March 1945 - February 1956) (b.1917 - d.1980)
- Dušan Mugoša (February 1956 - 1965) (b.1914 - d.1973)
- Velli Deva (1965 - 28 June 1971; 6 May 1981 - June 1982) (b.1923)
- Mahmut BakalliMahmut BakalliMahmut Bakalli was a Kosovar Albanian politician.Bakalli's political career started in the youth organization of the League of Communists of Kosovo, eventually becoming its leader in 1961. In 1967, he became head of the party's Prishtina chapter...
(28 June 1971 - 6 May 1981) (b.1936 - d.2006) - Velli Deva (6 May 1981 - June 1982) (b.1923)
- Sinan HasaniSinan HasaniSinan Hasani was a Yugoslav novelist, statesman, diplomat and a former President of Presidency Yugoslavia, a revolving form of executive leadership which rendered him the President of Yugoslavia at the time as well. He was of Albanian descent....
(June 1982 - May 1983) (b.1922 - d.2010) - Ilaz Kurteshi (May 1983 - March 1984) (b.1927)
- Svetislav Dolašević (March 1984 - May 1985)
- Kolë Shiroka (May 1985 - May 1986)
- Azem VllasiAzem Vllasi- Early years :In his youth and student years, Vllasi chaired a number of youth organizations; the student league of Kosovo and of Yugoslavia, and from 1974, the League of Socialist Youth of Yugoslavia. As socialist youth chairman, he became popular and gained the support of President Tito, which...
(May 1986 - May 1988) (b.1948) - Kaqusha JashariKaqusha JashariKaqusha Jashari born 1946 in Prishtina, Kosovo. She is a Kosovo Albanian politician and engineer and a member of the Assembly of Kosovo on the Democratic Party of Kosovo list since 2007. She is of Montenegrin descent on her mother's side....
(May 1988 - 17 November 1988) (b.1948) - Remzi Kolgeci (acting; 17 November 1988 - 27 January 1989)
- Rahman MorinaRahman MorinaRahman Morina , , was an police officer and political figure. He is remembered as a collaborator of the Slobodan Milosevic regime.- Early career :...
(27 January 1989 - 12 October 1990) (b.1943 - d.1990)
See also
- History of KosovoHistory of KosovoIn antiquity, the Kosovo region in the Balkans was known as Dardania and from the 1st century AD it formed part of the Roman province of Moesia. From c. 700 to 1455, the Kosovo region became part of the Bulgarian Empire, the Byzantine Empire and then the Serbian medieval states, notably Raška...
- League of Communists of YugoslaviaLeague of Communists of YugoslaviaLeague of Communists of Yugoslavia , before 1952 the Communist Party of Yugoslavia League of Communists of Yugoslavia (Serbo-Croatian: Savez komunista Jugoslavije/Савез комуниста Југославије, Slovene: Zveza komunistov Jugoslavije, Macedonian: Сојуз на комунистите на Југославија, Sojuz na...
- League of Communists of Bosnia and HerzegovinaLeague of Communists of Bosnia and HerzegovinaThe League of Communists of Bosnia and Herzegovina was the Bosnian branch of the League of Communists of Yugoslavia.- Leaders :*Secretaries of the Central Committee of the League of Communists...
- League of Communists of CroatiaLeague of Communists of CroatiaLeague of Communists of Croatia was the Croatian branch of the League of Communists of Yugoslavia . Until 1952, it was known as Communist Party of Croatia .- History :...
- League of Communists of MacedoniaLeague of Communists of MacedoniaLeague of Communists of Macedonia was the Macedonian branch of the ruling League of Communists of Yugoslavia during the period 1943 – 1990. It was formed under the name Communist Party of Macedonia during the antifascist National Liberation War of Macedonia in the Second World War...
- League of Communists of MontenegroLeague of Communists of MontenegroThe League of Communists of Montenegro was the Montenegrin branch of the League of Communists of Yugoslavia, the sole legal party of Yugoslavia from 1945 to 1990...
- League of Communists of SerbiaLeague of Communists of SerbiaThe League of Communists of Serbia was the Serbian branch of the League of Communists of Yugoslavia, the sole legal party of Yugoslavia from 1945 to 1990. Under a new constitution ratified in 1974, greater power was devolved to the various republic level branches. In the late 1980s, the party was...
- League of Communists of VojvodinaLeague of Communists of VojvodinaThe League of Communists of Vojvodina was the Vojvodina branch of the League of Communists of Yugoslavia.- Leaders :*Secretaries of the Central Committee of the League of Communists...
- League of Communists of Vojvodina
- League of Communists of SloveniaLeague of Communists of SloveniaThe League of Communists of Slovenia was the Slovenian branch of the League of Communists of Yugoslavia, the sole legal party of Yugoslavia from 1945 to 1989...
- League of Communists of Bosnia and Herzegovina
- List of leaders of communist Yugoslavia
- Socialist Federal Republic of YugoslaviaSocialist Federal Republic of YugoslaviaThe Socialist Federal Republic of Yugoslavia was the Yugoslav state that existed from the abolition of the Yugoslav monarchy until it was dissolved in 1992 amid the Yugoslav Wars. It was a socialist state and a federation made up of six socialist republics: Bosnia and Herzegovina, Croatia,...