Government type: republic
Capital: Belgrade (Serbia), Podgorica (Montenegro)
Administrative divisions: 2 republics (republike, singular—republika); and 2 nominally autonomous provinces* (autonomn pokrajine, singular—autonomna pokrajina); Kosovo*, Montenegro, Serbia, Vojvodina*
Independence: 11 April 1992 (Federal Republic of Yugoslavia or
FRY formed as self-proclaimed successor to the Socialist Federal
Republic of Yugoslavia or SFRY)
National holiday: St. Vitus Day, 28 June
Constitution: 27 April 1992
Legal system: based on civil law system
Suffrage: 16 years of age, if employed; 18 years of age, universal
Executive branch:
chief of state: President Slobodan MILOSEVIC (since 23 July 1997);
note—Milan MILUTINOVIC is president of Serbia (since 21 December
1997); Milo DJUKANOVIC is president of Montenegro (since 21 December
1997)
head of government: Prime Minister Momir BULATOVIC (since 20 May
1998); Deputy Prime Ministers Nikola SAINOVIC (since 15 September
1995), Vuk DRASKOVIC (since 1 February 1999), Jovan ZEBIC (since 9
April 1998), and Vladan KUTLESIC (since 20 March 1997), Zoran LILIC
(since 20 May 1998), Danilo VUKSANOVIC (since 20 May 1998)
cabinet: Federal Executive Council
elections: president elected by the Federal Assembly for a four-year
term; election last held 23 July 1997 (next to be held NA 2001);
prime minister appointed by the president
election results: Slobodan MILOSEVIC elected president; percent of
legislative vote—Slobodan MILOSEVIC 90%
Legislative branch: bicameral Federal Assembly or Savezna
Skupstina consists of the Chamber of Republics or Vece Republika (40
seats—20 Serbian, 20 Montenegrin; members distributed on the basis
of party representation in the republican assemblies to serve
four-year terms) and the Chamber of Citizens or Vece Gradjana (138
seats -, 108 Serbian with half elected by constituency majorities
and half by proportional representation, 30 Montenegrin with six
elected by constituency and 24 proportionally; members serve
four-year terms)
elections: Chamber of Republics—last held 24 December 1996 (next to
be held NA 2000); Chamber of Citizens—last held 3 November 1996
(next to be held NA 2000)
election results: Chamber of Republics—percent of vote by party—NA;
seats by party—NA; note—seats are filled on a proportional basis to
reflect the composition of the legislatures of the republics of
Montenegro and Serbia; Chamber of Citizens—percent of vote by
party—NA; seats by party—SPS/JUL/ND 64, Zajedno 22, DPSCG 20, SRS
16, NS 8, SVM 3, other 5; note—Zajedno coalition includes SPO, DS,
GSS