Liberal Party (Kingdom of Serbia)
Liberal Party Либерална странка | |
|---|---|
| Leader |
|
| Founded | 1883 |
| Dissolved | 1895 |
| Headquarters | Belgrade |
| Ideology | Liberalism |
The Liberal Party (Serbian: Либерална странка/Liberalna stranka, LS) was a liberal political party active in the Kingdom of Serbia between 1883 and 1895. It was led by historian Jovan Ristić (1831–1899) and then lawyer Jovan Avakumović (1841–1928).
Background
"Liberals" in Serbia
The "Liberals" (liberali), an opposition group formed in the 1840s, established the Association of Serbian Youth in 1847 (banned in 1851 by the Defenders of the Constitution). These liberals participated in the May Assembly (1–3 May 1848) in Sremski Karlovci and the Petrovdan Assembly (29 June 1848) in Kragujevac. The liberals had an important role in the overthrow of the regime of Prince Aleksandar Karađorđević in 1858, which resulted in the return of the rival Obrenović dynasty. Liberals founded the United Serb Youth. Their ideas were close to those of Jovan Ristić (the later leader of LS). The Liberals were Russophiles and Obrenović-supporters, closely linked with the Serbian Orthodox Church and especially with Metropolitan Mihailo who himself was a liberal. In national politics, they had the aim of liberation of all Serbs. On the political spectrum, the Liberals were between the Conservatives and the Markovićevci (followers of Svetozar Marković, who later founded the People's Radical Party in 1881[1]).
Liberals founded the Society for the Promotion of Serbian Literature (Дружина за помагање српске књижевности) in 1881, then transformed the organization into a political party, the Liberal Party, in 1883.
Members
- Jovan Ristić (1831–1899), historian and diplomat, party leader in 1883–89
- Jovan Avakumović (1841–1928), lawyer, party leader in 1889–95
Election results
| Election | Votes | Seats |
|---|---|---|
| 1884 | 3 / 174 | |
| 1886 | 15 | |
| 1888 (Mar) | 13 / 142 | |
| 1888 (Nov) | 150 / 628 | |
| 1889 | 21,874 (12.12%) | 15 / 132 |
| 1893 (Mar) | 64 / 132 | |
| 1893 (May) | 1 / 134 | |
| 1895 | 30 / 240 |
See also
References
- ↑ Popović-Obradović 2008, p. 63.
Sources
- Gale Stokes (1990). Politics as Development: The Emergence of Political Parties in Nineteenth Century Serbia. Duke University Press.
- Popović-Obradović, Olga (2008). Kakva ili kolika država?: Ogledi o političkoj i društvenoj istoriji Srbije XIX–XXI veka (PDF). Ogledi. 12. Belgrade: Helsinški odbor za ljudska prava. ISBN 978-86-7208-155-8.
- Brašić, Miloš N.; Mitrinović, Čedomil (1937). Jugoslovenske narodne skupštine i sabori. Narodna Skupština Kraljevine Jugoslavije.