Lithuanian parliamentary election, 1923

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Parliamentary elections were held in Lithuania on 12 and 13 May 1923. [1] The Lithuanian Popular Peasants' Union emerged as the largest party in the second Seimas, winning 16 of the 78 seats. [2]

Lithuania republic in Northeastern Europe

Lithuania, officially the Republic of Lithuania, is a country in the Baltic region of Europe. Lithuania is considered to be one of the Baltic states. It is situated along the southeastern shore of the Baltic Sea, to the east of Sweden and Denmark. It is bordered by Latvia to the north, Belarus to the east and south, Poland to the south, and Kaliningrad Oblast to the southwest. Lithuania has an estimated population of 2.8 million people as of 2019, and its capital and largest city is Vilnius. Other major cities are Kaunas and Klaipėda. Lithuanians are Baltic people. The official language, Lithuanian, along with Latvian, is one of only two living languages in the Baltic branch of the Indo-European language family.

Lithuanian Popular Peasants Union political party in Lithuania

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 Second Seimas of Lithuania was the second parliament (Seimas) democratically elected in Lithuania after it declared independence on February 16, 1918. It was the only regular interwar Seimas which completed its full three-year term from May 1923 to March 1926. The First Seimas, elected in fall 1922, was in virtual deadlock as no party or coalition could gain a majority. President Aleksandras Stulginskis was forced to dissolve it on March 12, 1923. The elections to a new Seimas took place on May 12 and May 13, 1923. The Christian Democrats gained two additional seats which were enough to give them a slim majority. At first they tried to form a coalition with the Lithuanian Peasant Popular Union. The Populists demanded lifting the martial law, prohibiting political campaigning in churches, and three portfolios in the new cabinet of ministers. The Christian Democrats were not inclined to satisfy the demands and the coalition broke apart in June 1924.

Results

PartyVotes%Seats+/–
Lithuanian Popular Peasants' Union 161,19517.916New
Labour Federation 134,39314.912+1
Lithuanian Christian Democratic Party 130,21114.414–1
Farmers' Association 129,94214.414+2
Social Democratic Party of Lithuania 101,77811.38–3
United Minorities 99,37911.010New
Central Polish Electoral Committee 50,0645.64+2
Workers Group 23,1262.60–5
Labour Union of Polish Christian Workers in Kaunas13,6881.50New
Party of National Progress 10,5681.200
Economic and Political Union of Lithuanian Farmers8,0140.900
Group of Workers and Poor Peasants6,7970.800
Land and Freedom4,4280.500
Democratic National Freedom League 4,1120.50New
Dalgis3,1360.400
Union of Evangelical Lutherans2,1970.20New
Party of the Landless and those who have very little land1,3640.200
Jewish Workers' Party1,0480.10New
Polish Catholics' Party4990.10New
Polish Workers' Party4840.10New
Union of Lithuanian Evangelical Farmers3630.00New
Individualists2940.00New
Party of Russians and Belarusians1060.000
Achdus 530.00–3
Poor peasant groups (8)8,1010.30
Workers groups (4)2,7160.30
Independent groups (3)3,2810.400
Invalid/blank votes
Total901,337100780
Registered voters/turnout
Source: Nohlen & Stöver

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References

  1. Dieter Nohlen & Philip Stöver (2010) Elections in Europe: A data handbook, p1201 ISBN   978-3-8329-5609-7
  2. Nohlen & Stöver, p1218