Party life in the Kingdom of Serbia at the end of 1902 and the beginning of 1903

Abstract

The paper presents the life of political parties in the Kingdom of Serbia at the end of 1902 and the beginning of 1903. In an endeavour to strengthen his autocratic rule, King Aleksandar Obrenović dissolved the National Assembly elected during the mandate of the Government of Mihailo Vujić and imposed a new Constitution on 6 April 1901. After the resignation of the short-lived Government of Petar Velimirović, the cabinet of General Dimitrije Cincar-Marković was formed on 19 November 1902. The formation of this government was a sign that the last Obrenović wanted to return to the personal autocratic rule, as he had done in 1894. The opposition swiftly recognized the King's plans to change the Constitution and sharply attacked him through the press. The fierce opposition to Cincar Marković's Government included the liberals gathered around Jovan Avakumović, the independents, and the old radicals gathered around Nikola Pašić and Mihailo Vujić. On 6 April 1903, King Alexander temporarily suspended the 1901 Constitution in order to dissolve the Parliamentary Assembly and, only 45 minutes later, he issued the proclamation by which he restored the 1901 Constitution. As the National Assembly was dissolved by these two acts, the elections for the National Assembly and the Senate were scheduled for 1 June 1903. The re-establishment of the King's autocratic regime accelerated the conspirators' preparations of a coup d'état which was carried out on the night between 10 and 11 June 1903, when King Aleksandar Obrenović was killed. The new National Assembly adopted the 1903 Constitution and elected a new king, Petar Karađorđević.

Keywords

• dimitrije cincar-marković
• parliamentarism
• constitutionalism
• radicals
• liberals
• progressives