The League of Communists of Kosovo ( sh, Savez komunista Kosova, Савез комуниста Косова, SKK; al, Lidhja Komuniste Kosovare) was the

Kosovo Kosovo ( sq, Kosova or ; sr-Cyrl, Косово ), officially the Republic of Kosovo ( sq, Republika e Kosovës, links=no; sr, Република Косово, Republika Kosovo, links=no), is a partially recognised state in Southeast Euro ...

branch of the

League of Communists of Yugoslavia The League of Communists of Yugoslavia, mk, Сојуз на комунистите на Југославија, Sojuz na komunistite na Jugoslavija known until 1952 as the Communist Party of Yugoslavia, sl, Komunistična partija Jugoslavije mk ...

, the sole legal party of

Yugoslavia Yugoslavia (; sh-Latn-Cyrl, separator=" / ", Jugoslavija, Југославија ; sl, Jugoslavija ; mk, Југославија ;; rup, Iugoslavia; hu, Jugoszlávia; rue, label=Pannonian Rusyn, Югославия, translit=Juhoslavija ...

from 1945 to 1990.

History and background

Unlike the various factions throughout Yugoslavia which composed the

, the ''Communist Party of Kosovo'' was founded in 1944 ''after'' the new country was formed. The status of an honorary autonomous province was presented to ethnic Albanian communists who helped the Yugoslav partisans in their struggles during

World War II World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great powers—forming two opposin ...

, carved out from the section of the former

Ottoman province The administrative divisions of the Ottoman Empire were administrative divisions of the state organisation of the Ottoman Empire. Outside this system were various types of vassal and tributary states. The Ottoman Empire was first subdivided ...

within the

Socialist Republic of Serbia , life_span = 1944–1992 , status = Constituent state of Yugoslavia , p1 = Territory of the Military Commander in Serbia , flag_p1 = Flag of German Reich (1935–1945).svg , p2 ...

(i.e. whilst one chunk of the former province was given to

Albania Albania ( ; sq, Shqipëri or ), or , also or . officially the Republic of Albania ( sq, Republika e Shqipërisë), is a country in Southeastern Europe. It is located on the Adriatic and Ionian Seas within the Mediterranean Sea and shares ...

in 1912, the other sections of it were awarded to Yugoslavia's newly created republics:

Montenegro ) , image_map = Europe-Montenegro.svg , map_caption = , image_map2 = , capital = Podgorica , coordinates = , largest_city = capital , official_languages = M ...

and Macedonia). The new party was given the task of running certain local affairs. In 1952, the party was renamed the ''League of Communists of Kosovo''. From its creation, Kosovo's administration lacked real power. With various revisions of the constitution, the LCK was granted more and more power until when the new

constitution A constitution is the aggregate of fundamental principles or established precedents that constitute the legal basis of a polity, organisation or other type of Legal entity, entity and commonly determine how that entity is to be governed. When ...

was ratified in 1974, greater power was devolved to all branches. During the early 1990s, growing ethnic tensions between the republics of Yugoslavia led to the breakup of the federal party — the Kosovo Communists wanted to upgrade Kosovo from an autonomous republic within

Serbia Serbia (, ; Serbian language, Serbian: , , ), officially the Republic of Serbia (Serbian language, Serbian: , , ), is a landlocked country in Southeast Europe, Southeastern and Central Europe, situated at the crossroads of the Pannonian Bas ...

to the 7th socialist republic of Yugoslavia, with the same status of

Croatia , image_flag = Flag of Croatia.svg , image_coat = Coat of arms of Croatia.svg , anthem = "Lijepa naša domovino"("Our Beautiful Homeland") , image_map = , map_caption = , capit ...

Montenegro ) , image_map = Europe-Montenegro.svg , map_caption = , image_map2 = , capital = Podgorica , coordinates = , largest_city = capital , official_languages = M ...

Bosnia Bosnia and Herzegovina ( sh, / , ), abbreviated BiH () or B&H, sometimes called Bosnia–Herzegovina and often known informally as Bosnia, is a country at the crossroads of south and southeast Europe, located in the Balkans. Bosnia and He ...

, Macedonia,

Slovenia Slovenia ( ; sl, Slovenija ), officially the Republic of Slovenia (Slovene: , abbr.: ''RS''), is a country in Central Europe. It is bordered by Italy to the west, Austria to the north, Hungary to the northeast, Croatia to the southeast, an ...

and Serbia proper. On October 12, 1990, it ceased to exist due to amendments to the constitution reverting Kosovo to its pre-1974 status by

Slobodan Milosević Slobodan ( sr-Cyrl, Слободан) is a Serbo-Croatian masculine given name which means "free" (''sloboda'' / meaning "freedom, liberty") used among other South Slavs as well. It was coined by Serbian liberal politician Vladimir Jovanović w ...

.Yugoslavia The Old Demons Arise
''

TIME Magazine ''Time'' (stylized in all caps) is an American news magazine based in New York City. For nearly a century, it was published weekly, but starting in March 2020 it transitioned to every other week. It was first published in New York City on Mar ...

'', August 06, 1990

Party leaders

Miladin Popović Miladin Popović ( sr-cyr, Миладин Поповић; 23 September 1910 – 13 March 1945) was a Yugoslav Partisan and secretary of the Regional Committee of the Communist Party of Yugoslavia (OK KPJ) of Kosmet (Kosovo). He was one of the o ...

(September 1944 - March 1945) (b. 1910 - d.1945) #

Đorđije Pajković Đorđije "Đoko" Pajković (25 June 1917, Lužac, Berane, Kingdom of Montenegro – 17 January 1980, Belgrade, SR Serbia, Yugoslavia) was a Yugoslav Montenegrin politician. He was the leader of the League of Communists of Montenegro from Ju ...

(March 1945 - February 1956) (b. 1917 - d.1980) # Dušan Mugoša (February 1956 - 1965) (b. 1914 - d.1973) # Veli Deva (1965 - 28 June 1971) (b. 1923 - d.2015) #

Mahmut Bakalli Mahmut Bakalli (19 January 1936 – 14 April 2006) was a Kosovar Albanian politician. Bakalli began his political career in the youth organization of the League of Communists of Kosovo, eventually becoming its leader in 1961. In 1967, he became ...

(28 June 1971 - 6 May 1981) (b. 1936 - d.2006) # Veli Deva (6 May 1981 - June 1982) (b. 1923 - d.2015) # Sinan Hasani (June 1982 - May 1983) (b. 1922 - d.2010) # Ilaz Kurteshi (May 1983 - March 1984) (b. 1927 - d.2016) #

Svetislav Dolašević Svetislav ( sr, Светислав) is a Serbian masculine given name of Slavic origin. It may refer to: * Svetislav Basara (born 1953), Serbian writer * Svetislav Glišović (1913–1988), Serbian football player and manager * Svetislav Goncić (b ...

(March 1984 - May 1985) (b. 1926 - d.1995) #

Kolë Shiroka Kolë is an Albanian masculine given name. People bearing the name Kolë include: *Kolë Berisha (born 1947), Kosovan politician *Kolë Idromeno (1860–1939), Albanian painter *Kolë Tromara (1882–1945), Albanian nationalist and political figur ...

(May 1985 - May 1986) (1922 - 1994) #

Azem Vllasi Azem Vllasi (born 23 December 1948) is a senior Kosovo Albanian politician and lawyer. Early years Vllasi was born in Robovac, Kosovska Kamenica, Yugoslavia, in today's Kosovo. In his youth and student years, Vllasi chaired a number of youth ...

(May 1986 - May 1988) (b. 1948) #

Kaqusha Jashari Kaqusha Jashari (' Fejzullahu; born 16 August 1946) is a Kosovo Albanian politician and engineer by profession. She is a member of the Assembly of Kosovo on the Democratic Party of Kosovo list since 2007. From 1986 until November 1988, she and ...

(May 1988 - 17 November 1988) (b. 1946) # Remzi Kolgeci (acting; 17 November 1988 - 27 January 1989) (b. 1947 - d.2011) # Rrahman Morina (27 January 1989 - 12 October 1990) (b. 1943 - d.1990)

Flag of the League of Communists of Yugoslavia and Kosovo

Emblem of the League of Communists of Yugoslavia and Kosovo

References

{{Authority control Communism in Kosovo Political parties established in 1944 Parties of one-party systems Defunct political parties in Kosovo Political parties disestablished in 1990 League of Communists of Yugoslavia Socialist parties in Kosovo

History and background

Party leaders

Flag of the League of Communists of Yugoslavia and Kosovo

Emblem of the League of Communists of Yugoslavia and Kosovo

See also

References