The1953 Yugoslav Constitutional Law was a big packet of constitutional amendments to thecommunist state constitution of1946 Yugoslav Constitution, with the goal of introducing the idea of self-management in the constitutional matter of theFederal People's Republic of Yugoslavia. It came into effect on January 13, 1953. The amended 1946 constitution would remain in power until the adoption of the1963 Yugoslav Constitution.
This packet of constitutional amendments was approved at thesixth congress of theLeague of Communists of Yugoslavia. It partially separated party and state political functions and granted some civil and political rights to individuals and constituent republics. It further established legal foundations forworkers' control over enterprises and expanded local governmental power. It established theFederal People's Assembly with two houses: a Federal Chamber, directly representing the regions, and a Chamber of Producers, representing economic enterprises and worker groups. The executive branch of the federal government (Federal Executive Council or FEC) included only the five ministries dealing with national affairs and foreign policy. The League of Communists retained exclusive political control, based on theLeninist credo that thestate bureaucracy would wither away, and that a multiparty system would only bring more cumbersome bureaucratic institutions.[1]
On the basis of the political and social order,social ownership on themeans of production, self-producers in the economy,self-management of working people in themunicipality, the city and thecounty and self-working people in the fields ofeducation,culture and social services was declared.
Yugoslavia was proclaimed asocialist,democratic,federal state of sovereign and equal nations. All power in the country belonged to the working people through their representatives in the various bodies, as well as directly – election, revocation of representatives, assemblies, councils and other forms of self-government, which was declared a basis for the entire organization.
In the field of the representative body this was reflected in the introduction of the Council of Producers, as the home of the representatives of professions, in addition to a political home. Thedichotomous principle ofseparation of powers was abandoned, and the Federal National Assembly was proclaimed the supreme representative of people's sovereignty and the highest authority of thefederation.
Until then, the highest existing executive body, the Presidium of the National Assembly of FNRJ and the Government of FNRJ were replaced with two executive authorities of theFederal People's Assembly – thePresident of the Republic and theFederal Executive Council (known as FEC), who were responsible for the assembly work, at least on paper. President of the Republic was also the president of the Federal Executive Council.
Democratic centralism was also abandoned, the rights of the republics and autonomous regions were increased, and in the municipality, the city and the county self-management was introduced.
This article incorporates text from this source, which is in thepublic domain. Glenn E. Curtis (December 1990). Glenn E. Curtis (ed.).Yugoslavia: A Country Study.Federal Research Division. Breaking with the Soviet Union.
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