Lithuanian Socialdemocrats and Constitutive Seim: Participation in Election, Results, Faction

Abstract

Lithuanian socialdemocrats spoke up for radically democratic form of governance of future Republic of Lithuania from the very beginning of their work and adaption of their first political program. From the beginning of the XX cent. Socialdemocrats spoke up for the institution of basics of political system of the Republic of Lithuania by the Constitutive Seim. At the of the end second decade of the XX cent. Social democrats, who were loyal to the social democratic ideological tradition, kept speaking up for the organisation of elections to the Constitutive Seim as soon as it was possible. In the article are discussed different aspects of the relation between Lithuanian socialdemocrats and Constitutive Seim, with reference to different sources and historiography. The aspects are such as: circumstances and features of the participation in elections, lists of candidates, results of election, its evaluation, objectives and aims of the faction of social democrats in the Seim. After analysing these aspects it was come up with following conclusions:

1. The situation of the participation of social democrats in the election to the Constitutive Seim was rathen complicated: in 1919-1920 the social democratic party confronted with restriction from the side of government and savage ideological attack from the side of communists, who worked underground.

2. Though circumstances of election to the Constitutive Seim were not beneficial to social democrats, they managed to nominate the lists of the party candidates in four from six constituencies. In the lists of candidates there were not only unknown workmen, tradespeople or office workers, but also known political and society people;

3. Considering especially complicated organisational state of the party, restriction of the government, savage attack of communists and other objective circumstances, election to the Constitutive Seim was rather successful to LSDP, as they got 13 percent of electorate votes and 13 mandates in Constitutive Seim.

4. Though social democrats judged the campaign of election to the Constitutive Seim especially critically, they considered the fact of election itself as very useful to the movement of workers and claimed that they will get better conditions to prepare for the fight with enemies and strenghten their force.

5. The faction of social democrats was the most educated faction in the Constitutive Seim. It had several personalities who later took an active part in politicall, economical and social life of Lithuania, and experienced and tempered fighters for independent Lithuania and ideals of social democrasy.