Croatian parliamentary election, 1990

Croatian parliamentary election, 1990

22–23 April and 6–7 May 1990 1992 →
All 80 seats to the Social-Political Council All 116 seats to the Council of Municipalities All 160 seats to the Council of Associated Labour
Turnout	up to 84.54% (varied by parliamentary chamber)
First party Second party Third party   Leader Franjo Tuđman Ivica Račan Savka Dabčević-Kučar Party HDZ SKH KNS Seats won 205 / 356 73 / 356 11 / 356
Results of the election in each of the electoral districts of Croatia for the Socio-Political Council   HDZ   SKH-SDP   KNS   SSH   SDS   GAS   Independent
Prime Minister before election Antun Milović SKH Subsequent Prime Minister Stjepan Mesić HDZ

Antun Milović
SKH

Stjepan Mesić
HDZ

Parliamentary elections were held in the Socialist Republic of Croatia between 22 and 23 April 1990; the second round of voting occurred on 6–7 May. These were the first free, multi-party elections held in Croatia since 1938, and the first such elections for the Croatian Parliament since 1913. Voters elected candidates for 356 seats in the tri-cameral parliament; the turnout in the first round ranged between 76.56% and 84.54% for various parliamentary chambers. In the second round, the turnout was 74.82%. The Croatian Democratic Union (HDZ) won 205 seats, ousted the League of Communists of Croatia – Party of Democratic Reform (SKH-SDP) from power and ended 45 years of communist rule in Croatia. The new parliament convened for the first time on 30 May, elected Franjo Tuđman as President of the Croatian Presidency and soon after renamed the office to President of Croatia.

The election took place during a political crisis in the Balkans, the disintegration of the League of Communists of Yugoslavia, and growing ethnic tensions between Croats and Serbs. Though the SKH-SDP was widely expected to win the elections, the HDZ took advantage of questions of nationality and political reform becoming the dominant issues of concern, and won by a wide margin. After the election, SKH-SDP lost a large proportion of its membership, many of whom crossed the party lines and joined the HDZ. The electoral campaign exacerbated ethnic rivalries, and mutually provocative actions led to deep mistrust. Fear was further fomented by authorities in the neighbouring Socialist Republic of Serbia. In the months following the elections, the Croatian parliament amended the Constitution of Croatia to remove the term "Socialist" from the republic's official name, and to remove communist symbols from the flag and coat of arms of Croatia.