Lithuanian Democratic Party

TheLithuanian Democratic Party(Lithuanian:Lietuvių demokratų partija,LDP) was a political party inLithuania.The original party was established in 1902. It published newspapersLietuvos ūkininkas(1905–1918) andLietuvos 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.

History

Original party

The party was established on 17 October 1902 at countZubovmanor in Dabikinė nearAkmenėby activists publishingVarpas.In 1906, it adopted a political program prepared byKazys Grinius,Jonas Vileišis,Povilas Višinskis,Juozas BortkevičiusandJurgis Šaulys.The goals of the party were to seekautonomystatus forethnic Lithuaniawithin the Russian Empire. The local governance would be delegated to parochial committees, which could collect taxes. The program supported education and cooperation, promoted participation in public life, and advocated national unity.The party supported wealthier farmers, therefore during theGreat Seimas of Vilniusof 1905 it opposed land reform that would have confiscated land from large landlords and distributed it to small peasants. After the Seimas, LDP sponsored the formation of thePeasant Union,which initially was a branch of LDP. Some member of LDP founded theLithuanian National Democratic Party(Lithuanian:Tautiškoji lietuvių demokratų partija), headed byJonas Basanavičius.

A new program by Albinas Rimka was adopted in 1914 and the party was renamed into the Democratic Party of Lithuania (Lithuanian:Lietuvos demokratų partija). Some members, includingPetras LeonasandAndrius Bulota,of the party were elected into theState Duma of the Russian Empire.

DuringWorld War I,many activists evacuated into Russia. In 1917, the right wing faction formed theLithuanian Socialist Popular Democratic Party(Lithuanian:Lietuvos socialistų liaudininkų demokratų partija); another fraction formed theLithuanian Socialist Popular Party(Lithuanian:Lietuvos socialistų liaudininkų partija).The LDP, which remained in Lithuania, was in essence inactive but still officially in existence. Two of its members,Jurgis ŠaulysandPetras Vileišis,were elected to theCouncil of Lithuania,which adopted theAct of Independence of Lithuaniain February 1918. The council ceased to exist in May 1920 when it was replaced by theConstituent Assembly of Lithuania.The LDP was formally dissolved on 15 May 1920.

New party

A new Lithuanian Democratic Party was established on 4 February 1989, chaired bySaulius Pečeliūnas.The party won three seats in the1990 Supreme Soviet elections.It formed an alliance with theLithuanian Christian Democratic Partyand theLithuanian Union of Political Prisoners and Deporteesto contest the1992 elections,with the alliance winning a total of 18 seats.

The LDP contested the1996 electionsin an alliance with theLithuanian Nationalist Union.The alliance won a total of six seats, with the LDP taking two. The2000 electionssaw the LDP run as part of the Union of "Young Lithuania", New Nationalists and Political Prisoners. However, it failed to win a seat.