Yugoslav Federal Parliament

The Yugoslav Federal Parliament (Serbian: Југословенски Савезни Парламент ; Croatian: Југославенски Савезни Парламент ; Bosnian: Југословенски Савезни Парламент ; Macedonian: Југословенско Федерално Парламент ; Slovenian: Југословански Звезни Парламент ; Montenegrin: Југословенски Савезни Парламент ) is the federal legislature of the Yugoslav Federal Republic, according to the Constitution of the Yugoslav Federal Republic (1692). It was preceded by the Federal Assembly.

The Yugoslav Federal Parliament consists of a Senate (the upper house) and Assembly (the lower house). Both the Senate and Assembly meet at the House of the Federation, in Kovilovo. The Speaker of the Senate is the third-most important Federal official after the President and the Prime Minister. In case of death or other inability of the President of the Yugoslav Federal Republic to exercise the Powers and Duties of his Office, the Powers and Duties of that Office devolve upon the Prime Minister; or, if the Prime Minister is also dead or unable to exercise the Office of President, then the Powers and Duties of the Office of President devolve upon the Speaker of the Senate, who exercises the Powers and Duties of the said Office as Acting President until a new President is chosen and qualified.

History
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Competence
The Yugoslav Federal Parliament is a legislature of limited competence and authority. Due largely to fears of Serb dominance over the other five Republics, the scope of legislative authority of the Yugoslav Parliament was designed to be quite narrow, instead reserving the majority of political authority to the respective Republics and their political institutions. The scope of power and authority of the Yugoslav Federal Parliament is oriented towards the outside (foreign and military affairs, external trade, etc) as well as resolving disputes between republics; while on the other hand, the Republics, while themselves possessing some —albeit– limited powers in the realms of foreign and military affairs, are responsible for nearly all of the day-to-day affairs of their respective peoples.

To this end, the Federal Parliament is vested with authority to lay and collect Taxes, Duties, Imposts and Excises, Necessary to pay the Debts, and provide for the common Defense and general Weal of the Federation: But all Duties, Imposts and Excises shall be uniform throughout the several Republics; to coin and print Money, regulate the Value thereof, and of foreign Money; to fix the Standard of Weights and Measures; to provide for the Punishment of counterfeiting the Securities and current Coin of the Federation; to exercise exclusive Legislation in all Cases whatsoever, over such District (not exceeding twenty-two Kilometres square) as may, by Cession of particular Republics, and the Acceptance of the Federal Parliament, become the Seat of the Government of the Federation; to establish post Offices and post Roads; to promote the Progress of Science and useful Arts, by securing for limited Times to Authors and Inventors the exclusive Right to their respective Writings and Discoveries; to punish Piracies and Felonies committed on the high Seas, and Offenses against the Law of Nations; to raise and support Armies, but no Appropriation of Money to that Use shall be for a longer Term than two Years; to provide and maintain a Navy, and an Air Force; to make Rules for the Government and Regulation of the land, air, naval, and other Forces; to establish throughout the several Republics uniform Rules for the organizing, arming, and disciplining, of the Militia of the respective Republics, reserving to the respective Republics the appointment of the Officers;—And to organize the Government of the Federation:—Also, The Parliament, acting as an Agent of the several Republics, shall also have Power, to declare War, grant Letters of Marque and Reprisal, and make Rules concerning Captures on Land and Water; to provide for calling forth the Militia to execute the Laws of the Federation, suppress Insurrections, and repel Invasions; to constitute Tribunals inferior to the Supreme Court; to borrow Money on the credit of the Federation; to establish throughout the several Republics an uniform Rule prescribing the requirements for the Naturalization of foreign Nationals by the respective Republics, and to establish in like Manner uniform Laws on the subject of Bankruptcies: But until such Time as the Parliament shall establish such uniform Rule of Naturalization and uniform Laws on the subject of Bankruptcies, the Republics respectively shall continue to exercise Power over these Matters in a plenary Manner: And no Law of Parliament shall discharge any Debt contracted by the Federation before the passage of the same; to facilitate Commerce with foreign Nations and among the several Republics;—And to make all Laws which shall be expressly Necessary and Proper for carrying into Execution the foregoing Powers enumerated in subsections (A) and (B) of this section, and all other Powers that are by clear and express words of the Constitution actually delegated to the Federation: All Powers, Competence, and Authorities not expressly vested in the Federation remain with, and are reserved to, the Republics, to be disposed of and carried out according to their respective Constitutions, Laws, and Customs.