1948 Czechoslovak presidential election

The 1948 Czechoslovak presidential election took place on 14 June 1948. Klement Gottwald was elected the first Communist president of Czechoslovakia.[1]

1948 Czechoslovak presidential election
14 June 1948
 
Nominee Klement Gottwald
Party KSČ
Electoral vote 296
Percentage 100%
President before election

Edvard Beneš
ČSNS

 Elected President

Klement Gottwald
KSČ

Background

The Communist Party of Czechoslovakia finished first in the 1946 parliamentary election and formed a new government with party leader Klement Gottwald as Prime Minister. The party used its influence to take over the country in a 1948 coup d'etat.[2] The incumbent president Edvard Beneš was unable to resist and resigned on 7 June 1948.[3] In accordance with the 1920 Constitution, Gottwald took over most presidential duties pending the election of a permanent successor.

When negotiations began, two candidates were proposed–Gottwald and Culture Minister Zdeněk Nejedlý. It was eventually decided that Gottwald would be nominated in order to legitimate the Communist regime.[4]

References
  1. "Dělnický prezident Klement Gottwald". www.moderni-dejiny.cz (in Czech). Retrieved 3 February 2018.
  2. "1948 - Volba prezidenta 2008 (Český rozhlas)". www.rozhlas.cz (in Czech). Retrieved 3 February 2018.
  3. "Výročí dne – 7. června 1948: Prezident Edvard Beneš abdikoval". zivotopisyonline.cz (in Czech). Retrieved 3 February 2018.
  4. "Deset mužů z Hradu: Klement Gottwald - dělnický faraón, který se utápěl v alkoholu". Reflex.cz (in Czech). Retrieved 4 February 2018.
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