The Constitution of the Kingdom of Yugoslavia, September 3, 1931 (Octroyed or September Constitution)

When he imposed his own regime, King Alexander announced the return to the Constitutional order "as soon as possible." Observing the internal and foreign political situation, on September 3, 1931 the king adopted the Constitution that formally ended the period of dictatorship of the monarchy. The promulgation of the Constitution did not mean that the ideology of integral Yugoslavia was abandoned; instead, it was an attempt to put into life the Yugoslav idea as a state program and general people's movement under the conditions of "normal" Constitutional and political lives.

The Constitution reaffirmed the national unitarism and centralism. The national unity and state integrity were symbolised by the king. The state was defined as a hereditary and constitutional monarchy. The renewal of political parties was essentially prevented through the provision that "there can be no association on the religious or tribal or regional basis for the purpose of forming political parties or for physical education purposes." A bicameral National Office made up of the Senate and National Assembly was introduced. The king had the right to appoint the same number of senators as the people elected at direct elections. The introduction of the Senate ensured the king's control of the laws that could pass through the National Assembly against his will. The legislative authority was exerted by the king and national office. The king's administrative authority was exerted through the ministers. He appointed and dismissed the prime minister and members of the government who were accountable to him rather than to parliament.

The administration in the Kingdom was in the bannates, circuits and municipalities. The Constitution defined the borders of nine bannates, previously determined in the Law of October 3, 1929, and this meant that they could be changed only if the Constitution were amended. Bannates, as bodies of self-rule, consisted of the bannate councils and bannate committees.

Article 116, also called the "Little Constitution," gave the king the right to take measures beyond the Constitutional and legal regulations in special situations, but with their additional confirmation by the national office. The Decree on the Croatian Bannate and several other decrees were adopted before and during World War II in accordance with this Article.


List of Constituent Acts of Yugoslavia
