Serbian parliamentary election, November 1888
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Parliamentary elections were held in Serbia in November 1888.[1] The result was a victory for the People's Radical Party.[2]
Electoral system
The Parliament 628 members; 88 directly elected in 23 boroughs and 540 indirectly elected to represent rural constituencies. In rural areas voters would first elect electors, who would in turn elect the MPs.[3] Around 32,000 people were registered to vote.[1]
Campaign
The People's Radical Party were largely funded by Russian backing.[4] Many of their candidates claimed that Serbia did not need an army, but should instead rely on militia.[5]
Conduct
On 28 November King Milan annulled the elections held in rural seats on the basis that the elections had not been free.[3] The People's Radical Party had complained of interference by the police, whilst the Progressive Party had complained that the Radicals had conducted a violent campaign. The King ordered voting to restart on 3 December with three royal commissioners to attend each constituency.[3]
Results
The People's Radical Party were expected to have a majority of around 40 following the original elections, but after the rural constituencies voted for a second time, the majority was increased to nearly 200.[6] The Progressive Party won several seats in the original elections, but were almost wiped out in the second vote.[7]
| Party | Seats |
|---|---|
| People's Radical Party | 450 |
| Liberal Party | 150 |
| Progressive Party | 2 |
| Others | 26 |
| Source: The Times[2] | |
References
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