Slovenia Held Its First Free Election 15 Years Ago
Fifteen years ago, to the day, Slovenia held its first multi-party elections, which were overwhelming won by the opposition coalition DEMOS. The first round of vote was held on 8 April 1990, with the run-off a fortnight later.
The parliamentary system was based on the 1974 Constitution, partially amended with constitutional amendments. Parties nominated candidates for three chambers, representing parties, local interests and workers.
The chambers comprised 80 deputies each, or a total of 240 deputies. In the election, DEMOS won 126 of the seats, while the reformed Communists became the strongest individual party in the assembly.
Altogether ten parties made it to the assembly then: Democratic Union Party - National Democratic Party (it later split up and some of the deputies joined the newly-established Democratic Party); Social Democratic Party of Slovenia; Slovenian Farmers' Union - People's Party; Green Party; Liberal Party; Slovenian Christian Democrats; Party of Democratic Reforms (former Communists); Liberal Democratic Party; and the Socialist Party.
Apart from these, seats were filled by representatives of the Italian and Hungarian ethnic minorities and a handful of independent candidates. Voters also elected the presidency of the republic. Milan Kucan was elected president, while Matjaz Kmecl, Ivan Oman, Dusan Plut and Ciril Zlobec were elected members.
Following the elections, the new assembly held its maiden session on 17 May 1990, electing France Bucar its speaker.
Since the Slovenian Christian Democrats (SKD) won most votes within DEMOS, its leader Alojz Peterle was given by the president of the republic the mandate to form a new government. A 27-member cabinet was appointed with little opposition.
The assembly then passed the Declaration on the Sovereignty of Slovenia on 2 July 1990. The document set, among other things, a one-year period to pass a new constitution. The assembly also disbanded the Slovenian delegation to the Yugoslav parliament.
The new constitution was passed on 23 December 1991. It scrapped the three-chamber system, and introduced a bicameral system of the National Assembly and the National Council. The upper chamber has, however, rather limited powers.
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