V.

Government

Serbia adopted a new constitution in September 1990, which stripped the provinces of Kosovo and Vojvodina of their autonomy and closed their legislatures. It also laid the groundwork for multi-party elections, which were held for the first time in December 1990, confirming the ruling Socialist Party of Serbia (the former Communist Party) in power. The head of the republic was a president, who between 1989 and 2000 was the nationalist and Socialist Party leader, Slobodan Milošević; in October 2000 he was replaced by Vojislav Koštunica of the Democratic Opposition of Serbia.

The legislative body is the unicameral National Assembly, with 250 members. In parliamentary elections held in January 2007 the nationalist Serbian Radical Party (SRS; Srpska Radikalna Stranka) won most seats, followed by the Democratic Party (DS; Demokratska Stranka), and the Democratic Party of Serbia (DSS; Demokratska Stranka Srbije).

In May 2002 the federal parliament ratified an agreement by which the Federal Republic of Yugoslavia would be replaced by a looser union between Serbia and Montenegro, with the two countries sharing the defence and foreign ministries and the federal presidency. Yugoslav, Montenegrin, and Serbian leaders signed an accord setting up a new state called “Serbia and Montenegro” to replace Yugoslavia. In February 2003 the country Yugoslavia ceased to exist. Serbia and Montenegro comprised two semi-independent states in charge of their own economies. For three years Serbia and Montenegro co-existed but on May 21, 2006, Montenegro held an independence referendum. Just over 55 per cent of the population voted in favour and on June 3, Montenegro declared its independence. Serbia responded, acknowledging the end of the union and effectively eliminating the last vestiges of the former state of Yugoslavia.