In the first free election communists came second

Thirty years ago, first free election in Czechoslovakia after 40 years of communist rule took place. The Civil Forum won the election in Czechia and The Public against Violence won in Slovakia. Surprisingly communist party was not entirely unsuccessful.

96 percent of all elligible voters came to vote which is until now the biggest attendance in elections. Half of them voted for The Civil Forum. Then president Václav Havel said that such a high attendance meant that people cared about the future of their country and themselves.

Results were not bad for the Communist party either. For many people surprisingly communists recieved 15 percent of votes and finished second.

The Civil Forum, gathering all parties from left to right, was dismantled less than a year after the election. Following election in 1992 was won by ODS (Občanská demokratická strana - Civil Democratic Party).

After the first free election in 1990 the new government was supposed to create new federal constitution. But federal republic only lasted until the end of 1992. Since January 1993 Czechoslovakia has been divided into two countries - Czechia and Slovakia.