In 1979, however, the Community moved over to direct elections - the general public were allowed to vote for their own MEPs.
Faced with widespread street protests in June, the Government backed down and agreed to direct elections, rather than resorting to martial law.
Those party affiliations can create conflicts of interest, or at least the appearance thereof, while directing elections.
Lionized abroad for liberating a totalitarian empire, he has never subjected himself to direct elections at home.
They were the largest and most violent since protests in 1987 forced a former authoritarian government to agree to direct presidential elections.
Across the nation thousands of others took part in the largest protests since last summer, when demonstrations led to direct presidential elections.
It was in this consent decree that the Teamster leadership agreed, reluctantly, to direct elections.
It remained hostile to direct elections, however, and vowed to disband the democratically elected legislature after 1997.
Changing the presidential selection process from the present electoral college to direct elections requires constitutional change.
The Teamsters agreed to direct elections in a 1989 consent decree that the union signed to persuade the federal government to drop an anti-racketeering lawsuit.