2nd Legislature of Albania
The 2nd Legislature of Albania was the country's second parliamentary term and its first National Council chosen through a popular electoral process, sitting in Tirana from 1921 to 1923.
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Overview
The 2nd Legislature of Albania was the second parliamentary term of the Albanian state and the first legislature elected through a process based on popular voting. It operated as the National Council, or Këshilli Kombëtar, from 21 April 1921 until 30 September 1923, with its seat in Tirana. Its creation marked a transition from the provisional parliamentary arrangements that had followed the Congress of Lushnjë toward a more regular, electorally constituted national institution. The legislature emerged from political pressure to replace the first National Council, whose mandate had been temporary. On 24 November 1920, eighteen members of that body resigned and requested elections for a new parliament. The government approved the proposal, and Albania conducted its first parliamentary election in 1921. The system was indirect and operated in two stages. In the initial stage, voting was limited to men over the age of 20, who selected one elector for every 500 registered voters. Four weeks later, those electors met in the principal town of each district to choose the 78 members of the National Council. Although this process was not universal or direct by modern standards, it represented a significant institutional development in the early Albanian state. The political balance of the Council was divided primarily between the Progressive Party, associated with Shefqet Vërlaci and Hoxhë Kadriu, and the Popular Party, led by Fan Noli and politically associated with Luigj Gurakuqi. The two groupings held broadly comparable strength, producing factional competition and repeated government crises. The Council's composition also changed substantially during its life. Some deputies, particularly several representing Dibra, were unseated on 22 December 1921. Others were expelled in September 1922 because of involvement in the 7 March 1922 uprising against the government of Xhafer Ypi. Additional representatives from Kosovo, Dibra, Korçë, Shkodër, and other prefectures were admitted on 1 September 1922. Resignations, deaths, and appointments to the High Council further altered the membership, with approximately 100 individuals serving as deputies at some point during the term. Eshref Frashëri exercised the chairmanship of the National Council. The legislature's work included the organisation of judicial institutions, the development of parliamentary procedure, and the establishment of practices intended to make deliberations more orderly and transparent. Deputies were required to take an oath before the Council, and the body began operating with more clearly defined legislative responsibilities than its predecessor. A central constitutional development was the 1922 extension of the Statute of Lushnja. Commonly known as the 1922 statute, it elevated the earlier arrangement into a constitutional framework with the highest authority in the state. It confirmed the principle of parliamentary government and defined the National Council as Albania's single legislative body, composed of deputies elected through an indirect voting system. The statute therefore provided a more formal legal basis for the legislature's authority and for the relationship between parliament and government. The National Council completed its two-year term in September 1923. Rather than continuing as the same legislature, it ended its proceedings to allow the organisation of elections for a Constitutional Assembly. Those elections took place in December 1923. The 2nd Legislature is consequently remembered less as a permanent political organisation than as an important transitional institution in the formation of Albania's early parliamentary system.
History
The 2nd Legislature of Albania developed out of the institutional uncertainty that followed the Congress of Lushnjë. Albania's first National Council had been created with a temporary mandate, and by late 1920 a group of eighteen members had resigned while calling for a new parliamentary election. The government accepted the request, leading to the election held on 21 April 1921. This was the first parliamentary election in Albania's history and produced the country's second National Council. The electoral system was indirect and restricted. Men older than 20 voted in the first stage to choose electors, with one elector assigned for every 500 registered voters. Four weeks later, the electors assembled in the principal town of each district and selected 78 deputies. The arrangement combined a limited franchise with a territorial mechanism intended to produce a national representative body. The legislature began sitting in Tirana on 21 April 1921. Political competition was concentrated in two broad groups. The Progressive Party was led by Shefqet Vërlaci and Hoxhë Kadriu, while the Popular Party was headed by Fan Noli and associated with Luigj Gurakuqi. Neither side held an uncontested position, and their roughly comparable strength contributed to factionalism and recurrent government crises. The legislature therefore operated in a politically unstable environment while also attempting to define basic parliamentary practices. The Council's membership was not static. On 22 December 1921 it unseated a number of deputies, notably representatives connected with Dibra. In September 1922, other deputies were expelled for participating in the uprising of 7 March 1922 against the government of Xhafer Ypi. On 1 September 1922 the Council admitted additional representatives from prefectures including Kosovo, Dibra, Korçë, and Shkodër. Deaths, resignations, and the elevation of members to the High Council produced further changes. As a result, although the initial Council had 78 seats, approximately 100 people served as deputies during the full term. Eshref Frashëri exercised the office of chairman. The Council's legislative responsibilities included work on judicial organisation and the creation of parliamentary rules. It also developed procedural practices such as the swearing-in of deputies and measures intended to increase transparency in its proceedings. These activities helped convert the National Council from a provisional political forum into a more regular legislative institution. The most important constitutional development of the term was the 1922 extension of the Statute of Lushnja. This statute gave the earlier political framework constitutional status and asserted the primacy of parliamentary government. It defined the National Council as Albania's sole legislative body and confirmed that it would consist of a chamber of deputies selected through indirect popular voting. The measure provided a clearer legal basis for legislative authority during a period when the state was still consolidating its institutions. After completing its two-year mandate, the National Council ended its proceedings on 30 September 1923. Its dissolution was connected to preparations for elections to a Constitutional Assembly, held in December of that year. The 2nd Legislature thus served as a bridge between Albania's provisional post-1920 arrangements and a more formal constitutional order. Its importance lies in the establishment of an elected parliamentary precedent, the development of legislative procedure, and the 1922 attempt to place parliamentary government on a constitutional foundation.
- 1923
Term concludes
[1]The National Council ended its proceedings on 30 September to prepare for elections to a Constitutional Assembly.
- 1922
1922 statute adopted
[1]The extension of the Statute of Lushnja established a stronger constitutional basis for parliamentary government and defined the National Council's legislative role.
- 1922
Additional prefectural representatives admitted
[1]On 1 September, representatives from Kosovo, Dibra, Korçë, Shkodër, and other prefectures were admitted to the Council.
- 1922
Deputies expelled after the March uprising
[1]In September, deputies who had participated in the 7 March uprising against the government of Xhafer Ypi were expelled.
- 1921
First Albanian parliamentary election
[1]Albania held its first parliamentary election, using a two-stage indirect process that resulted in a 78-member National Council.
- 1921
National Council begins its term
[1]The 2nd Legislature began sitting in Tirana on 21 April.
- 1921
Deputies unseated
[1]The Council removed several deputies on 22 December, including a number representing Dibra.
- 1920
Call for a new National Council
[1]On 24 November, eighteen members of the first National Council resigned and requested elections for a successor parliament.
Products and positioning
An early national parliamentary institution representing Albania's transition from provisional post-Congress of Lushnjë governance to an elected and constitutionally defined legislative system.
Brand decisions
1922
Constitutionalisation of parliamentary governmentStrategyBackground
The legislature operated within a provisional institutional environment inherited from the Congress of Lushnjë and required a clearer legal foundation.
Action taken
The 1922 extension of the Statute of Lushnja was adopted as a constitutional framework, confirming the National Council as the single legislative body and defining its relationship to parliamentary government.
Aftermath
The measure strengthened the formal basis of the National Council's authority and preceded the move toward elections for a Constitutional Assembly in 1923.
1921
Adoption of regular parliamentary proceduresOtherBackground
The new legislature sought to operate as a regularly elected national body rather than as a temporary council.
Action taken
It developed rules of procedure, formalised the swearing-in of deputies, and addressed the organisation of the judiciary and other legislative matters.
Aftermath
These practices contributed to the institutional development of Albania's early parliamentary system.
Sources1 sources
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