Relation of socialdemocrats (LSDP) with the process of democration of Republic of Lithuania during the work of Constituent Seimas in 1920-1922

Abstract

The aim of this text is the description of relation of LSDP with the the process of democratisation during the work of Constituent Seimas in 1920-1922. After the description of seperate fragments of this relation, there are presented following conclusions.

1. LSDP ideological - program principles and its political attitude from the very foundation of the party in the end of XIX cent. until the elections to Constituent Seimas, shows that LSDP all that time declared for the establishment of democratical form of ruling in as much as possible radical way.
2. LSDP after succesful elections to Constituent Seimas, following the marxistical doctrine of socialism refused to enter the block of rulling cristians democrats and peasant populist (valstiečiai liaudininkai) and became the party in opposition. The main goal of LSDP faction in Constituent Seimas was "to help to accomplish democratical order in every cleft of our lives".
3. Faction of LSDP in Constituent Seimas tried to consolidate democratical forms of rulling in as much as possible radical way, where the "whole sovereign power beiongs to people (nation) and Seimas is a mouthpiece of nations sovereign power. There should not be presidental institution, which contradicts democracy.
4. Representitives of the LSDP faction in Constituent Seimas and newspaper "Socialdemokratas" criticized and condemned the establishment of the state of martial law in Lithuania in July 1920 and demanded its abolition.
5. Socialdemocrats in Constituent Seimas and in pages of newspaper “Socialdemokratas” condemned the arrest of people of workers’ movement and cases of beating of arrested and political prisoners, and also hindrances to celebrate the 1–st of May for organisations of workers and demanded to investigate all such cases, to punish the committers and to ensure that such things would not happen again.
6. The members LSDP faction in sessions of Constituent Seimas spoke in support of freedom of convictions of citizens, principles of law state, rights of national minorities, adoption of amnesty law for political prisoners. Also they strived not only for political democracy in Lithuania but for principles of social and economical democracy as well.
7. The utterance of LSDP for very radical democracy during the period of 1920-1922 was stipulated by ideology of the party, ideological - political custom of socialism and conforming to one of the most radical (but not communistical) version of doctrine of marxistical socialism. Rather radical rhetoric of the party caused not only ideology of the party but also antidemocratical occurrnces in political life of Lithuania, not mature political culture and problems of development of not mature democracy.