The electoral policy of the Russian counterrevolution (June 1918 - December 1919)

There is the phenomenon of elections that took place during the Russian Civil War. The author undertook a comprehensive analysis of the causes, nature and consequences of changes in the electoral legislation of the February Revolution introduced by the anti-Bolshevik governments in 1918-1919, which was performed for the first time. The question as which electoral system would ensure legitimate and authoritative power was especially important for the counter-revolution - the social and political forces and governments that opposed the October Revolution and the Bolsheviks. On the basis of a wide range of representative sources, the author concluded that the changes were initiated by the Cadets political party. They considered that the self-governing bodies and the Constituent Assembly elected by universal, equal, direct, and secret ballot by the proportional system were politicized and not competent. They insisted on the limitation of the suffrage and on introduction of majority system. On the contrary, socialists insisted on maintaining the proportional electoral system that would, in their opinion, ensure the optimal interests of all strata of the population. The electoral policy of the anti-Bolshevik governments was formed under pressure of public discussion. Lack of systematic and legal logic in the process of changing the electoral legislation generated political speculation and uncertainty of the authorities. Only the Rules governing the municipal elections underwent a complete cycle of reforms. The elements of the majority system were introduced in proportional electoral system, and the electoral law was mildly restricted. The hybrid electoral system was designed to depoliticize dumas and to raise the level of their competence. The trade-off reform solved its tasks only partially. Reforms of the electoral law in zemstvo and the Constituent Assembly in the making could fundamentally change the electoral system in a spirit of the Cadet program. However, the military defeat forced authorities to reject the idea of universal, equal, secret, direct and competitive elections.