The Seimas of the Republic of Lithuania, or simply the Seimas, is the unicameral legislative body of the Republic of Lithuania. The Seimas constitutes the legislative branch of government in Lithuania, enacting laws and amendments to the Constitution, passing the budget, confirming the Prime Minister and the Government and controlling their activities.
The Constitution of the Republic of Lithuania defines the legal foundation for all laws passed in the Republic of Lithuania. The first constitution of the contemporary republic was enacted on 1 August 1922. The current constitution was adopted in a referendum on 25 October 1992.
The Lithuanian Peasants Party was a political party in Lithuania.
Mykolas Sleževičius was a Lithuanian lawyer, political and cultural figure, and journalist. One of the most influential figures in inter-war Lithuania, he served as the prime minister of Lithuania on three occasions. Taking the helm of the government at a difficult time in 1918 and again in 1919, Sleževičius has been credited with preparing Lithuania for the fights to come and for laying the foundations of the fledgling state.
The Lithuanian Democratic Party was a political party in Lithuania. The original party was established in 1902. It published newspapers Lietuvos ūkininkas (1905–1918) and Lietuvos žinios (1909–1915). During World War I, the party split into several other parties and was disbanded in 1920. A new party under the same name was established in 1989.
The Lithuanian Popular Peasants' Union was a centre-left political party in Lithuania between 1922 and 1936. The party's leaders included the third President Kazys Grinius and three-term Prime Minister Mykolas Sleževičius.
The 1926 Lithuanian coup d'état was a military coup d'état in Lithuania that replaced the democratically elected government with a authoritarian regime led by Antanas Smetona. The coup took place on 17 December 1926 and was largely organized by the military; Smetona's role remains the subject of debate. The coup brought the Lithuanian Nationalist Union, the most conservative party at the time, to power. Previously it had been a fairly new and insignificant nationalistic party. By 1926, its membership reached about 2,000 and it had won only three seats in the parliamentary elections. The Lithuanian Christian Democratic Party, the largest party in the Seimas at the time, collaborated with the military and provided constitutional legitimacy to the coup, but accepted no major posts in the new government and withdrew in May 1927. After the military handed power over to the civilian government, it ceased playing a direct role in political life.
Parliamentary elections were held in Lithuania in two stages on 25 October and 15 November 1992. A total of 141 members were elected to the Seimas, which replaced the Supreme Council; 70 were elected using proportional representation and 71 from single-member constituencies. Where no candidate in the single-member constituecies received more than 50% of the vote on 25 October, a run-off was held on 15 November. The first round of the elections were held simultaneously with a referendum on the adoption of a new constitution.
Parliamentary elections were held in Lithuania in two stages on 20 October and 10 November 1996. All 141 seats in the Seimas were up for election; 70 based on proportional party lists and 71 in single member constituencies. Where no candidate gained more than 50% of the vote on 20 October, a run-off was held on 10 November.
Constituent Assembly elections were held in Lithuania between 14 and 16 April 1920. The Lithuanian Christian Democratic Party emerged as the largest party, winning 46 of the 112 seats. Together with its allies, the Lithuanian Labour Federation and Farmers' Association, it secured an absolute majority in the Assembly.
Parliamentary elections were held in Lithuania on 10 and 11 October 1922, electing 78 members of the First Seimas. They were the first elections held in Lithuania under the 1922 constitution, which had been adopted by the Constituent Assembly on 1 August 1922.
Parliamentary elections were held in Lithuania between 8 and 10 May 1926. The Lithuanian Popular Peasants' Union remained the largest party, winning 24 of the 85 seats in the third Seimas. They formed a left-wing coalition government with the Social Democratic Party of Lithuania, which was overthrown in a military coup in December. The Seimas was disbanded in 1927 and Lithuanian Nationalist Union leader Antanas Smetona was appointed President.
Parliamentary elections were held in Lithuania on 10 June 1936, after a new law on holding elections was issued by presidential decree.
The Lithuanian German Committee was a political party in inter-war Lithuania representing the German minority.
The Central Polish Electoral Committee was a political party in interwar Lithuania representing the Polish minority. The committee was organized in March 1920 and was the only ethnic minority party to win seats in all four democratic elections to the Seimas.
The Democratic Jewish Union was a political coalition in inter-war Lithuania.
Jewish People's Election Group "Achdus" was an electoral grouping in inter-war Lithuania. It was affiliated to Agudath Israel.
The United Minorities was an electoral list representing the Belarusian, German, Jewish and Russian minorities in the May 1923 election to the Second Seimas of interwar Lithuania. The list received 11% of the vote and won ten seats. Seven seats went to the Jewish faction, two to the German faction and one to the Russian faction.
The Lithuanian Liberty Union was a far-right political party in Lithuania.
The Workers' Group of Lithuania was a front organization of the Communist Party of Lithuania that participated in the elections to the First and Second Seimas of Lithuania in 1922 and 1923. Members of this group became known as Kuopininkai ("groupers").
