View source for Presidency of Yugoslavia

{{Short description|Collective head of state of the Socialist Federal Republic of Yugoslavia}}
{{Infobox official post
| post = Presidency
| body = [[Yugoslavia]]
| native_name = {{small|{{langx|sh|Predsjedništvo SFRJ}}<br />{{lang|sh-Cyrl|Председништво СФРЈ}}<br />{{langx|sl|Predsedstvo SFRJ}}<br /> {{langx|mk|Председателство на СФРЈ}}}}
| flag = Standard of a Member of the Presidency of SFR Yugoslavia.svg
| flagsize = 125px
| flagborder = 
| flagcaption = Standard of a Member of the Presidency of Yugoslavia
| insignia = 
| insigniasize = 110px
| insigniacaption = 
| image = Josip Broz Tito uniform portrait.jpg
| imagesize = 165px
| imagecaption = '''Best known officeholder'''<br />'''[[Josip Broz Tito]]'''<br />30 June 1971 – 4 May 1980
| alt = 
| incumbent = 
| acting = 
| incumbentsince = 
| type = 
| status = 
| department = 
| style = 
| member_of = 
| reports_to = 
| residence = 
| seat = 
| nominator = 
| appointer = 
| appointer_qualified = 
| termlength = No fixed length
| termlength_qualified = 
| constituting_instrument = 
| precursor = 
| formation = 30 June 1971
| first = [[Josip Broz Tito]]
| last = [[Branko Kostić]]
| abolished = 15 June 1992
| succession = 
| abbreviation = 
| unofficial_names = 
| deputy = 
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| website = 
}}
{{Politics of Yugoslavia}}

The '''Presidency of the Socialist Federal Republic of Yugoslavia'''{{efn|{{lang-sh-Cyrl|Председништво СФРЈ|Predsedništvo SFRJ}}, {{lang|sh-Latn|Predsjedništvo SFRJ}}, {{langx|sl|Predsedstvo SFRJ}}, {{langx|mk|Председателство на СФРЈ|Predsedatelstvo na SFRJ}}}} was the [[collective head of state]] of the [[Socialist Federal Republic of Yugoslavia]]. It was established in 1971 according to amendments to the [[1963 Yugoslav Constitution|1963 Constitution]] and reorganized by the [[1974 Yugoslav Constitution|1974 Constitution]]. Up to 1974, the [[Presidency]] had 23 members – three from each [[republic]], two from each [[autonomous province]] and [[President of Yugoslavia|President]] [[Josip Broz Tito]].<ref>[http://www.osaarchivum.org/files/holdings/300/8/3/text/87-1-268.shtml Slobodan Stankovic (1984): Yugoslavia's New State Presidency] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110817084209/http://www.osaarchivum.org/files/holdings/300/8/3/text/87-1-268.shtml |date=2011-08-17 }}</ref> In 1974 the Presidency was reduced to 9 members – one from each republic and autonomous province and, until 1988, [[President of the League of Communists of Yugoslavia]] ''ex officio''.

==Constitutional powers==

According to the [[1974 Yugoslav Constitution|1974 Constitution]], the Presidency had following powers:<ref>[http://sr.wikisource.org/sr-el/%D0%A3%D1%81%D1%82%D0%B0%D0%B2_%D0%A1%D0%BE%D1%86%D0%B8%D1%98%D0%B0%D0%BB%D0%B8%D1%81%D1%82%D0%B8%D1%87%D0%BA%D0%B5_%D0%A4%D0%B5%D0%B4%D0%B5%D1%80%D0%B0%D1%82%D0%B8%D0%B2%D0%BD%D0%B5_%D0%A0%D0%B5%D0%BF%D1%83%D0%B1%D0%BB%D0%B8%D0%BA%D0%B5_%D0%88%D1%83%D0%B3%D0%BE%D1%81%D0%BB%D0%B0%D0%B2%D0%B8%D1%98%D0%B5_%281974%29#.D0.9F.D0.A0.D0.95.D0.94.D0.A1.D0.95.D0.94.D0.9D.D0.98.D0.A8.D0.A2.D0.92.D0.9E_.D0.A1.D0.9E.D0.A6.D0.98.D0.88.D0.90.D0.9B.D0.98.D0.A1.D0.A2.D0.98.D0.A7.D0.9A.D0.95_.D0.A4.D0.95.D0.94.D0.95.D0.A0.D0.90.D0.A2.D0.98.D0.92.D0.9D.D0.95_.D0.A0.D0.95.D0.9F.D0.A3.D0.91.D0.9B.D0.98.D0.9A.D0.95_.D0.88.D0.A3.D0.93.D0.9E.D0.A1.D0.9B.D0.90.D0.92.D0.98.D0.88.D0.95 Constitution of the SFRY, 1974 (in Serbian)]</ref>
* representing the federation both inside and outside the country
* commanding the [[Yugoslav People's Army]], deciding on using the army both in war and in peace
* protecting equality of [[Yugoslavs|Yugoslav nationalities]]
* protecting the [[1974 Yugoslav Constitution|constitutional order]]
* proposing a candidate for the [[Prime Minister of Yugoslavia|federal prime minister]]
* proposing candidates for federal constitutional judges
* appointing the ambassadors and generals and admirals
* appointing the [[National Defense Council of the Socialist Federal Republic of Yugoslavia|National Defense Council]] and, if needed, also other agencies (one of such was [[Federal Council for Protection of the Constitutional Order of Yugoslavia|Federal Council for Protection of the Constitutional Order]])
* giving quarters and awarding [[Orders, decorations and medals of the Socialist Federal Republic of Yugoslavia|state decorations]]

The Presidency had eight members elected by parliaments of each republic and autonomous province and proclaimed by the [[Federal Assembly of the SFRY]], the ninth member was [[president of the Presidency of the League of Communists of Yugoslavia]]. This ex officio membership of the LCY leader was abolished by the constitutional changes in autumn 1988.<ref>[http://sr.wikisource.org/sr-el/%D0%90%D0%BC%D0%B0%D0%BD%D0%B4%D0%BC%D0%B0%D0%BD%D0%B8_%D0%BD%D0%B0_%D0%A3%D1%81%D1%82%D0%B0%D0%B2_%D0%A1%D0%BE%D1%86%D0%B8%D1%98%D0%B0%D0%BB%D0%B8%D1%81%D1%82%D0%B8%D1%87%D0%BA%D0%B5_%D0%A4%D0%B5%D0%B4%D0%B5%D1%80%D0%B0%D1%82%D0%B8%D0%B2%D0%BD%D0%B5_%D0%A0%D0%B5%D0%BF%D1%83%D0%B1%D0%BB%D0%B8%D0%BA%D0%B5_%D0%88%D1%83%D0%B3%D0%BE%D1%81%D0%BB%D0%B0%D0%B2%D0%B8%D1%98%D0%B5_%281988%29#.D0.90.D0.9C.D0.90.D0.9D.D0.94.D0.9C.D0.90.D0.9D_-.7B.D0.A5LI.7D- Amendments to the Constitution of the SFRY, 1988 (in Serbian)]</ref> The mandate of the Presidency lasted five years so the nine-member Presidency was elected in total four times &ndash; in 1974, 1979, 1984 and 1989.

Until 1980 most of powers of the Presidency (and control over the country in general) were in fact exercised by Josip Broz Tito, who was president of the republic for life. After his death in May 1980, his office stayed vacant and the Presidency began to function according to the constitution.

Sometimes, the Presidency held its sessions in an extended composition. Besides the members of the actual Presidency, in such sessions the following officials took part: chairman of the Federal Assembly, chairman and vice-chairman of the [[Federal Executive Council (Yugoslavia)|Federal Executive Council]] (the government), federal secretaries (ministers) of [[Ministry of Defence (Yugoslavia)|defense]], [[Ministry of the Interior (Yugoslavia)|interior]] and [[Ministry of Foreign Affairs (Yugoslavia)|foreign affairs]], chairman of the Federal Conference of the [[Socialist Alliance of Working People]] and chairmen of the presidencies of the Yugoslav republics and autonomous provinces.<ref>[http://www.europamagazine.info/feljtonoktobar.htm Interview with Raif Dizdarević (in Serbo-Croatian)]</ref> The extended Presidency wasn't grounded in the Constitution and couldn't itself adopt any decisions.

==Post-Tito period==
Tito, as a president of the republic, was [[Ex officio member|ex officio]] chairman of the Presidency. After his death a new chairman of the Presidency was elected every year. The order of rotating of the members on the leading position was agreed in advance, so this annual election was a pure formality. The rotating system jammed only in May 1991 &ndash;[[Stipe Mesić]], representative of [[Franjo Tuđman]]'s new [[Socialist Republic of Croatia|Croatian government]] in the Presidency, was about to become the chairman but wasn't elected due to opposition of a half of the Presidency controlled by [[Socialist Republic of Serbia|Serbian]] leader [[Slobodan Milošević]]. The top state office of the disintegrating federation remained vacant until 1 July when Mesić was finally elected.<ref>[http://www.moljac.hr/biografije/mesic.htm Biography of Stipe Mesić (in Croatian)] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120717021940/http://www.moljac.hr/biografije/mesic.htm |date=2012-07-17 }}</ref>
<ref name="www2.slobodnaevropa.org">[http://www2.slobodnaevropa.org/svjedoci/html/Vasil_Tupurkovski.html Interview with Vasil Tupurkovski, Radio Free Europe (in Serbo-Croatian)] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080204205120/http://www2.slobodnaevropa.org/svjedoci/html/Vasil_Tupurkovski.html |date=2008-02-04 }}</ref>

Only one year after Tito's death, Yugoslav leaders had to face [[1981 protests in Kosovo|violent riots]] in [[Socialist Autonomous Province of Kosovo|Kosovo]]. On 2 April 1981 the Presidency under chairmanship of [[Cvijetin Mijatović]] declared a [[state of emergency]] in [[Priština]] and [[Kosovska Mitrovica]], which lasted one week.<ref>{{webarchive |url=https://web.archive.org/web/*/http://www.osaarchivum.org/files/holdings/300/8/3/text/85-4-101.shtml |date=* |title=Slobodan Stankovic (1982): Kosovo: One year after the riots }}</ref><ref name="www2.slobodnaevropa.org_2">{{webarchive |url=https://web.archive.org/web/*/http://www2.slobodnaevropa.org/svjedoci/html/Raif_Dizdarevic.html |date=* |title=Interview with Raif Dizdarević }}, Radio Free Europe (in Serbo-Croatian)</ref> The Presidency declared a state of emergency again, that time on the whole territory of Kosovo, on 27 February 1989 under chairmanship of [[Raif Dizdarević]], when [[1989 Kosovo miners' strike|even more serious disorders]] in Kosovo broke out.<ref name="www2.slobodnaevropa.org_2"/><ref>[https://web.archive.org/web/20080407105427/http://www.deutsche-aussenpolitik.de/index.php?%2Fresources%2Fdossiers%2Fkosovo_timetable.php Timetable of the conflicts in Kosovo]</ref> For the third time in post-Tito Yugoslavia, a state of emergency in Kosovo was imposed by the Presidency in February 1990.<ref>[http://hrcak.srce.hr/file/28946 Chronology of Yugoslavia's break-up (in Croatian)] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110521132903/http://hrcak.srce.hr/file/28946 |date=2011-05-21 }}</ref>

The composition of the last Presidency elected in May 1989 reflected both approach of political pluralism in some parts of the federation and the beginning of agony in Yugoslavia:
* [[Janez Drnovšek]] from [[Socialist Republic of Slovenia|Slovenia]] and [[Bogić Bogićević]] from [[Socialist Republic of Bosnia and Herzegovina|Bosnia and Herzegovina]] were elected in direct elections held in their republics<ref>[http://www2.slobodnaevropa.org/svjedoci/html/Bogic_Bogicevic.html Interview with Bogić Bogićević, Radio Free Europe (in Serbo-Croatian)] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080204221012/http://www2.slobodnaevropa.org/svjedoci/html/Bogic_Bogicevic.html |date=2008-02-04 }}</ref><ref>[[Janez Drnovšek#Membership in the Yugoslav presidency|Janez Drnovšek on the English Wikipedia]]</ref>
* representatives of Serbia, [[Socialist Republic of Montenegro|Montenegro]], Kosovo and [[Socialist Autonomous Province of Vojvodina|Vojvodina]], i.e. half of the Presidency, were acting under ''de facto'' control of Slobodan Milošević<ref name="www2.slobodnaevropa.org"/><ref>[http://www2.slobodnaevropa.org/svjedoci/html/Stjepan_Mesic.html Interview with Stipe Mesić, Radio Free Europe (in Serbo-Croatian)] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080205002735/http://www2.slobodnaevropa.org/svjedoci/html/Stjepan_Mesic.html |date=2008-02-05 }}</ref>
* [[Stipe Šuvar]], Croat representative of strongly pro-Yugoslav opinions,<ref>[http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/comment/obituaries/article462339.ece Stipe Suvar obituary]{{dead link|date=September 2024|bot=medic}}{{cbignore|bot=medic}}</ref> was in October 1990 replaced by Stipe Mesić nominated by Croatian government.<ref>[http://www2.slobodnaevropa.org/svjedoci/html/Stipe_Suvar.html Interview with Stipe Šuvar, Radio Free Europe (in Serbo-Croatian)] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080205000031/http://www2.slobodnaevropa.org/svjedoci/html/Stipe_Suvar.html |date=2008-02-05 }}</ref>
In summer 1991 Mesić and Drnovšek, regarding their republics independent, ceased to attend sessions of the Presidency. They were followed by Bogićević and [[Vasil Tupurkovski]] from [[Socialist Republic of Macedonia|Macedonia]], so that the Presidency de facto ceased to exist, although the members from Serbia, her provinces (Kosovo and Vojvodina) and Montenegro continued to hold sessions until 1992.<ref name="www2.slobodnaevropa.org"/>

==Composition (1971–1992)==

{|class="wikitable"
|--
|colspan="3" style="background:#284D93; text-align:center; color:white;"| '''Presidency 1971–1974'''
|--
! Name
! Term of chairmanship
! Representing
|--
|[[Josip Broz Tito]] || 30 June 1971&nbsp;– 15 May 1974 || [[President of Yugoslavia|President of the Republic]], [[President of the League of Communists of Yugoslavia]]
|--
|[[Vidoje Žarković]]<br />[[Veljko Mićunović]]<br />[[Dobroslav Ćulafić]] || || [[Socialist Republic of Montenegro|SR Montenegro]]
|--
|[[Josif Rajačić]]<br />Replaced by [[Sreten Kovačević]]<br />[[Maćaš Keleman]]<br />Replaced by Mrs. [[Ida Sabo]] || || [[Socialist Autonomous Province of Vojvodina|SAP Vojvodina]]
|--
|[[Ilaz Kurteshi]]<br />[[Veli Deva]] || || [[Socialist Autonomous Province of Kosovo|SAP Kosovo]]
|--
|[[Nikola Minčev]]<br />[[Krste Crvenkovski]]<br />[[Kiro Gligorov]]<br />Replaced by [[Lazar Koliševski]] || || [[Socialist Republic of Macedonia|SR Macedonia]]
|--
|[[Hamdija Pozderac]]<br />[[Ratomir Dugonjić]]<br />[[Augustin Papić]] || || [[Socialist Republic of Bosnia and Herzegovina|SR Bosnia and Herzegovina]]
|--
|[[Sergej Kraigher]]<br />[[Marko Bulc]]<br />[[Mitja Ribičič]] || || [[Socialist Republic of Slovenia|SR Slovenia]]
|--
|[[Dragoslav Marković]]<br />[[Dobrivoje Vidić]]<br />[[Koča Popović]]<br />Replaced by [[Dragi Stamenković]] || || [[Socialist Republic of Serbia|SR Serbia]]
|--
|[[Jakov Blažević]]<br />[[Đuro Kladarin]]<br />[[Miko Tripalo]]<br />Replaced by [[Milan Mišković]] || || [[Socialist Republic of Croatia|SR Croatia]]
|--
|colspan="3" style="background:#284D93; text-align:center; color:white;"| '''Presidency 1974–1979'''
|--
|[[Josip Broz Tito]] || 15 May 1974&nbsp;– 15 May 1979 || President of the Republic, President of the League of Communists of Yugoslavia
|--
|[[Vidoje Žarković]] || || SR Montenegro
|--
|[[Stevan Doronjski]] || || SAP Vojvodina
|--
|[[Fadil Hoxha]] || || SAP Kosovo
|--
|[[Lazar Koliševski]] || || SR Macedonia
|--
|[[Cvijetin Mijatović]] || || SR Bosnia and Herzegovina
|--
|[[Edvard Kardelj]]<sup>1</sup><br />1979 [[Sergej Kraigher]] || || SR Slovenia
|--
|[[Petar Stambolić]] || || SR Serbia
|--
|[[Vladimir Bakarić]] || || SR Croatia
|--
|colspan="3" style="background:#284D93; text-align:center; color:white;"| '''Presidency 1979–1984'''
|--
|[[Josip Broz Tito]]<sup>1</sup> || 15 May 1979&nbsp;– 4 May 1980 || President of the Republic, President of the League of Communists of Yugoslavia
|--
|[[Vidoje Žarković]] || || SR Montenegro
|--
|[[Stevan Doronjski]]<sup>1</sup><br />1981 [[Radovan Vlajković]] || || SAP Vojvodina
|--
|[[Fadil Hoxha]] || || SAP Kosovo
|--
|[[Lazar Koliševski]] || 4 May 1980&nbsp;– 15 May 1980 || SR Macedonia
|--
|[[Cvijetin Mijatović]] || 15 May 1980&nbsp;– 15 May 1981 || SR Bosnia and Herzegovina
|--
|[[Sergej Kraigher]] || 15 May 1981&nbsp;– 15 May 1982 || SR Slovenia
|--
|[[Petar Stambolić]] || 15 May 1982&nbsp;– 15 May 1983 || SR Serbia
|--
|[[Vladimir Bakarić]]<sup>1</sup><br />1983 [[Mika Špiljak]] || <br />15 May 1983&nbsp;– 15 May 1984 || SR Croatia
|--
|1980 [[Stevan Doronjski]]<br />1980 [[Lazar Mojsov]]<br />1981 [[Dušan Dragosavac]]<br />1982 [[Mitja Ribičič]]<br />1983 [[Dragoslav Marković]] || || [[League of Communists of Yugoslavia]]
|--
|colspan="3" style="background:#284D93; text-align:center; color:white;"| '''Presidency 1984–1989'''
|--
|[[Veselin Đuranović]] || 15 May 1984&nbsp;– 15 May 1985 || SR Montenegro
|--
|[[Radovan Vlajković]] || 15 May 1985&nbsp;– 15 May 1986 || SAP Vojvodina
|--
|[[Sinan Hasani]] || 15 May 1986&nbsp;– 15 May 1987 || SAP Kosovo
|--
|[[Lazar Mojsov]] || 15 May 1987&nbsp;– 15 May 1988 || SR Macedonia
|--
|[[Branko Mikulić]]<sup>2</sup><br />1986 [[Hamdija Pozderac]]<sup>3</sup><br />1987 [[Raif Dizdarević]] || <br /> <br />15 May 1988&nbsp;– 15 May 1989 || SR Bosnia and Herzegovina
|--
|[[Stane Dolanc]] || || SR Slovenia
|--
|[[Nikola Ljubičić]] || || SR Serbia
|--
|[[Josip Vrhovec]] || || SR Croatia
|--
|1984 [[Ali Shukri]]<br />1985 [[Vidoje Žarković]]<br />1986 [[Milanko Renovica]]<br />1987 [[Boško Krunić]]<br />1988 [[Stipe Šuvar]]<br />(until November 1988) || || League of Communists of Yugoslavia
|--
|colspan="3" style="background:#284D93; text-align:center; color:white;"| '''Presidency 1989–1992'''
|--
|[[Dragutin Zelenović]]<sup>5</sup><br />1990 [[Jugoslav Kostić]] || || SAP Vojvodina
|--
|[[Riza Sapunxhiu]]<sup>6</sup><br />1991 [[Sejdo Bajramović]] || || SAP Kosovo
|--
|[[Vasil Tupurkovski]] || || SR Macedonia / Republic of Macedonia
|--
|[[Bogić Bogićević]] || || SR Bosnia and Herzegovina
|--
|[[Janez Drnovšek]] || 15 May 1989&nbsp;– 15 May 1990 || SR Slovenia / Republic of Slovenia
|--
|[[Borisav Jović]] || 15 May 1990&nbsp;– 15 May 1991 || SR Serbia / Republic of Serbia
|--
|[[Stipe Šuvar]]<sup>4</sup><br />1990 [[Stipe Mesić]] || <br />1 July 1991&nbsp;– 3 October 1991  || SR Croatia / Republic of Croatia
|--
|[[Nenad Bućin]]<sup>7</sup><br />1991 [[Branko Kostić]] || <br />6 December 1991&nbsp;– 15 June 1992<br />(acting) || SR Montenegro
|}

===Notes===
{{refbegin}}
# Died while holding the office
# Resigned when he became [[Prime Minister of Yugoslavia|Chairman]] of the [[Federal Executive Council (Yugoslavia)|Federal Executive Council]]
# Resigned due to accusation of participation in the [[Agrokomerc#The Affair|Agrokomerc scandal]]
# Recalled by the [[Croatian Parliament]]
# Recalled by the [[Parliament of Serbia|Serbian Parliament]]
# Recalled by the [[Parliament of Serbia|Serbian Parliament]]
# Recalled by the [[Parliament of Montenegro|Montenegrin Parliament]] 
{{refend}}

==Members==
*[[List of members of the Presidency of Yugoslavia]]

==See also==
*[[List of heads of state of Yugoslavia]]
**[[President of the Presidency of Yugoslavia]]
**[[Vice President of the Presidency of Yugoslavia]]
*[[Prime Minister of Yugoslavia]]
*[[Presidency of Bosnia and Herzegovina]]

==Notes==
{{Notelist}}

==References==
{{Reflist}}

{{Presidential system of SFRY}}
{{Yugoslavia topics}}
{{Authority control}}

[[Category:Socialist Federal Republic of Yugoslavia]]
[[Category:Presidencies|Yugoslavia]]
[[Category:1971 establishments in Yugoslavia]]
[[Category:1992 disestablishments in Yugoslavia]]