Congress of the League of Communists of Yugoslavia

The congress was the highest forum of the League of Communists of Yugoslavia (LCY), the ruling party of the Socialist Federal Republic of Yugoslavia. It assessed the activities of the LCY organs elected at the last congress and adopted, amended and supplemented the statute and programme. The party programme discussed important issues in Yugoslavia's socialist development and the country's international affairs. The congress assessed, decided on the eligibility of and elected candidates put forward by the LCY branches to the Central Committee, the Commission on Statutory Questions, and the Supervisory Commission.^[2]

Congress of the League of Communists of Yugoslavia
Overview
Type	Highest forum^[a]
Convenor	Central Committee
Presiding organ	Working Presidency
Electoral organ	Commission for the Verification of the Election
Delegate types	Voting delegate Non-voting delegate Guest delegate
Elected bodies	Central Committee Statutory Commission Supervisory Commission Others it deems necessary
Meeting place
Sava Centar, Beograd SR Serbia, SFR Yugoslavia (1978–1990)
Statute
"Statute of the League of Communists of Yugoslavia"

The incumbent LCY president presided over the congress proceedings until the delegates elected the Working Presidency of the Congress and the Commission for the Verification of the Election of the Organs of the LCY (CVEO).^[3] Upon the election of said bodies, the CVEO would analyse the reports submitted by the nominated and elected commissions of the LCY branches. In the event of any grievances regarding specific elections, the CVEO would start an investigation to assess the legitimacy of the election and report its findings to congress. Later, the CVEO would submit a proposal outlining the composition of the organs to be elected by the congress. Following the reports and suggestions made by the CVEO, the congress opened a hearing. Should any congress delegate have commented on the verification and election process, said delegate could submit a written comment to the CVEO. The LCY Central Committee, the Commission on Statutory Questions and the Supervisory Commission were elected by public voting, with delegates casting their votes on a proposed composition list for these organs rather than on individual candidates. Initially, there was a surplus of nominees to the number of seats up for election. The CVEO was empowered to propose one unified list, which meant that nominees who did not make the list were excluded from public vote. Congress delegates had the right to challenge individuals on the CVEO's list, and if that occurred, the member in question had to be elected by secret ballot. Ex officio members of the LCY Central Committee were not elected by congress and were verified by a session of the LCY Central Committee.^[4]

In its last years, from 1974 until its dissolution (and from 1948 to 1952), the LCY convened the congress every fourth year. Earlier, from 1964 to 1974, the statute stipulated it was to be called every fifth year. From 1952 to 1964, it was convened every sixth year, and it was convened irregularly prior to the 5th Congress in 1948.^[5] Only the LCY Central Committee could adopt a decision to convene the congress and had to do it at least three months before its opening. The decision had to include the proposed draft agenda and information on the preparatory work to convene it.^[4][b] The LCY Central Committee could also convene an extraordinary congress on its initiative or at the request of the congress or conference of one of the LCY branches. If an extraordinary congress was to be convened, the LCY Central Committee had to make public the agenda and mode of preparation of relevant material as well as the justification for convening an extraordinary congress. The LCY Central Committee had to publicly decide on convening an extraordinary congress at least three months after the proposal had been made.^[7] Part of congress preparatory work was electing congress delegates. A special decision of the LCY Central Committee determined the criteria for the election of congress delegates. They were to be elected in proportion to the number of members the LCY branch in question had. In addition to these delegates, a certain number of delegates from each LCY republican branch, the same number for each of them, were elected, as well as the “appropriate” number of delegates from the autonomous provinces and the party organisation in the Yugoslav People’s Army. Members of the LCY Central Committee, the Commission on Statutory Questions and the Supervisory Commissions had the same rights as congress delegates except the right to vote on the report and on the dissolution of the organ to which they belonged.^[4]

Convocations

Congresses of the League of Communists of Yugoslavia

Convocation	Type	Duration	Length	Delegates	Location	Presiding officer	Ref.
1st Congress	Ordinary	20–23 April 1919	4 days	432	Beograd, Yugoslavia		^[8]
2nd Congress	Ordinary	20–24 June 1920	5 days	374	Vukovar, Yugoslavia		^[9]
3rd Congress	Ordinary	17–22 May 1926	6 days	48^[c]	Vienna, Austria		^[10]
4th Congress	Ordinary	5–16 November 1928	11 days	25	Dresden, Germany		^[11]
5th Congress	Ordinary	21–28 July 1948	8 days	2,344	Beograd, Yugoslavia	Josip Broz Tito	^[12]
6th Congress	Ordinary	2–7 November 1952	6 days	2,022	Zagreb, Yugoslavia	Josip Broz Tito	^[13]
7th Congress	Ordinary	22–26 April 1958	5 days	1,791	Ljubljana, Yugoslavia	Josip Broz Tito	^[14]
8th Congress	Ordinary	7–13 December 1964	7 days	1,442	Beograd, Yugoslavia	Josip Broz Tito	^[15]
9th Congress	Ordinary	11–15 March 1969	5 days	1,287	Beograd, Yugoslavia	Josip Broz Tito	^[16]
10th Congress	Ordinary	27–30 May 1974	4 days	1,666	Beograd, Yugoslavia	Josip Broz Tito	^[17]
11th Congress	Ordinary	20–23 June 1978	4 days	2,283	Beograd, Yugoslavia	Josip Broz Tito	^[18]
12th Congress	Ordinary	26–29 June 1982	4 days	1,721	Beograd, Yugoslavia	Dušan Dragosavac	^[19]
13th Congress	Ordinary	25–28 June 1986	4 days	1,742	Beograd, Yugoslavia	Vidoje Žarković	^[20]
14th Congress	Extraordinary	20–23 January 1990^[d]	4 days	1,654	Beograd, Yugoslavia	Milan Pančevski	^[22]

Notes

1. Until 1974, the congress was designated as the LCY's supreme body.^[1]
2. The statute adopted by the 9th LCY Congress, held in 1969, is an exception to this rule. That congress abolished the LCY Central Committee and transferred its powers to convene the congress to the LCY Presidency (9th term).^[6]
3. 36 voting and 12 non-voting.
4. The 14th Congress officially went into recess on 23 January 1990. That was followed up by the Slovenian, Croatian and Macedonian branches leaving the LCY. The remaining branches reconvened the 14th Congress on 26 May. The reconvened congress elected a provisional leadership, named the Committee for the Preparation of the Congress of Democratic and Programmatic Renewal of the LCY Central Committee, tasked with convening the 15th LCY Congress, which it failed to accomplish.^[21]

References

Bibliography

• League of Communists of Yugoslavia (1969). "The Statute of the League of Communists of Yugoslavia". Ninth Congress of the League of Communists of Yugoslavia. Aktuelna Pitanja Socijalizma. pp. 207–229. ISBN 90-247-2975-0.
• Pleterski, Janko; Kecić, Danilo; Vasić, Miroljub; Damjanović, Pero; Trgo, Fabijan; Morača, Pero; Petranović, Branko; Bilandžić, Dušan; Stojanović, Stanislav (1985). Povijest Saveza komunista Jugoslavije [History of the League of Communists of Yugoslavia] (in Serbo-Croatian). Izdavački Centar Komunist / Narodna Knjiga / Rad.
• Simons, Williams B.; White, Stephen, eds. (1984). "The Statute of the League of Communists of Yugoslavia". The Party Statutes of the Communist World. Law in Eastern Europe. Martinus Nijhoff Publishers. pp. 485–533. ISBN 90-247-2975-0.
• Staff writer (January 1974). "Adoption of New Constitution.-Election of New Assembly of Federal Republic. - Marshal Tito elected President of Federal Republic for Unlimited Term, - New Collective Presidency and Federal Executive Council. - 10th Congress of League of Communists of Yugoslavia. - Related Developments". Keesing's Record of World Events. Vol. 20. Keesing’s Record of World Events.
• Staff writer (October 1978). "Elections to Federal Assembly - Appointment of New Vice-President of Collective Presidency - New Federal Executive Council - 11th Congress of League of Communists". Keesing's Record of World Events. Vol. 24. Keesing’s Record of World Events.
• Staff writer (August 1982). "12th Congress of League of Communists - Party Appointments - Passage of Economic Plan for the Period from 1981 to 1985 - Subsequent Developments". Keesing's Record of World Events. 28 (8). Keesing’s Record of World Events.
• Staff writer (September 1986). "Party congress - New federal government - Changes in republican leadership - Economy - Foreign relations - Developments in Kosovo - Other security affairs". Keesing's Record of World Events. 32 (9). Keesing’s Record of World Events.
• Staff writer (January 1990). "Party congress - Collapse of federal communist Party congress - Appointments". Keesing's Record of World Events. 36 (1). Keesing’s Record of World Events.

Specific

1. 1969, Article 53 of the "Statute of the League of Communists of Yugoslavia" of the 9th Congress.
2. 1982, Article 69 of the "Statute of the League of Communists of Yugoslavia" of the 12th Congress.
3. 1982, Article 69 of the "Statute of the League of Communists of Yugoslavia" of the 12th Congress; 1982, Article 70 of the "Statute of the League of Communists of Yugoslavia" of the 12th Congress.
4. 1982, Article 71 of the "Statute of the League of Communists of Yugoslavia" of the 12th Congress.
5. Pleterski et al. 1985, pp. 356–357, 426–427 & 450–451.
6. 1969, Article 54 of the "Statute of the League of Communists of Yugoslavia" of the 9th Congress.
7. 1982, Article 72 of the "Statute of the League of Communists of Yugoslavia" of the 12th Congress.
8. Pleterski et al. 1985, p. 62.
9. Pleterski et al. 1985, p. 71.
10. Pleterski et al. 1985, p. 100.
11. Pleterski et al. 1985, pp. 104―105.
12. Pleterski et al. 1985, p. 356.
13. Pleterski et al. 1985, p. 378.
14. Pleterski et al. 1985, p. 404.
15. Pleterski et al. 1985, p. 426.
16. Pleterski et al. 1985, p. 437.
17. Pleterski et al. 1985, p. 450; Staff writer 1974, p. 26655.
18. Pleterski et al. 1985, p. 453; Staff writer 1978, p. 29236.
19. Staff writer 1982, p. 31672.
20. Staff writer 1986, p. 34629.
21. "Odbor za pripremu" [Preparation Committee]. Slobodna Dalmacija (in Croatian). 30 May 1990. from the original on 29 September 2023. Retrieved 21 September 2023.
22. Staff writer 1990, p. 37172.