The Assembly of Vlorë (Albanian: Kuvendi i Vlorës) was an Albanian assembly constituted during the All-Albanian CongressinVlorë, on November 28, 1912.
The All-Albanian Congress[1]orAlbanian National Congress [2]orAlbanian Independence Congress[3] was a congress held in Vlorë (then Ottoman Empire, today Republic of Albania) on November 28, 1912.[4] At the beginning of the session, Ismail Qemali took the floor and, referring to the threatened Albanian rights resulting from the Albanian revolts of the previous four years, explained to the participants of the congress that they should do whatever was necessary to save Albania.[5] After his speech they began by checking the documents.[6]
After the documents were checked, Ismail Qemali again took the floor and gave a speech stating that he believed that the only way to prevent division of the territory of the Albanian Vilayet between the Balkan allies was to separate it from the Ottoman Empire.[7] Qemali's proposal was unanimously accepted and it was decided to sign the declaration of independence of Albania in the name of the constituted Assembly of Vlorë (Albanian: Kuvendi i Vlorës). By the declaration of Albanian independence the Assembly of Vlorë rejected the autonomy granted by the Ottoman Empire to the Albanian Vilayet, projected a couple of months earlier.[8] The consensus was for complete independence.[9]
The sitting was then suspended and members of the newly constituted National Assembly went to the house of Ismail Qemali, who raised the flag of Skanderbeg on the balcony of his house, in front of the gathered people.[10]
The second session of the Assembly of Vlorë was held on December 4, 1912. During that session members of the assembly established the Provisional Government of Albania. It was a government that consisted of ten members, led by Ismail Qemali until his resignation on January 22, 1914.[11] The Assembly established the Senate (Albanian: Pleqësi) with an advisory role to the government, consisting of 18 members of the Assembly.[12]
calling together an all-Albanian congress. On 28 November 1912, delegates from all over the country gathered in Vlora
from all parts of the country to Valona, where a national congress was to be held
Ismail Kemal Bey convened the Albanian Independence Congress
...November 15th–28th, 1912...
..Ismail Kemal bey... took the floor and explained... that they all must strive to do what is necessary to save Albania from the great perils it is now facing.... they began by checking the documents...
..Albanians had ... uprisings that had taken ... in particular over the last four years, to preserve their rights and customs....all the steps needed to appease and satisfy the Albanians.
.. four countries in the Balkans ...agreed to divide the Empire up among themselves, including Albania...only road to salvation was to separate Albania from Turkey....
Proclamation of Albanian independence by an assembly at Valona which rejected the grant of autonomy made by Turkish government
consensus of the congress was for complete independence
... a provisional government, consisting of ten members and led by Vlora, was formed on 4 December.
From its own members congress elected a senate (Pleqësi), composed of 18 members, which assumed advisory role to the government.
