Lithuanian political party in the legal regulation of 1919-1940

Straipsnyje nagrinėjami teisės aktai, reglamentavę politinių partijų steigimąsi, aptariamas politinių partijų veiklos teisinis reglamentavimas, jo pokyčiai, nagrinėjamos šių pokyčių priežastys. Analizuojami administraciniai aktai, įgyvendinantys politinių partijų veiklą reglamentuojančius teisės aktus, identifikuojamas jų ryšys su politiniu režimu. Atskleidžiami teisinio reglamentavimo skirtumai 1919-1926 m. ir 1926-1940 m., aptariama valstybės administracinių institucijų ir pareigūnų įtaka formuojamam teisiniam reglamentavimui. Priimti politines partijas reglamentuojantys teisės aktai analizuojami valstybės institucijų administracinių aktų ir objektyviosios realybės kontekste. Straipsnyje atskleidžiamas politinių partijų statusas de jure ir de facto aspektu. Aptariama skirtingais valstybingumo etapais politinių partijų juridinio statuso pokyčius lėmusios priežastys ir jų įtaka šalies valstybingumui.The main goal of this article is to highlight the Lithuanian political party system of legal regulation of formation of traditions and the disclosure of the legal framework in 1919–1940. This article discusses examination of the development of Lithuanian party system and identifies common patterns. The research is focused on the analysis of the legal regulation of the system of Lithuanian political party. The author discusses legal and historical issues and takes no notice of the issue of political considerations. The author also discusses the historical and political circumstances, which prompted the current legal framework, examines the influence of party system evolution of the statehood of Lithuania and the development of constitutionalism. There are a few authors, who made some researches on a few legal issues, e.g., in the monograph by Professor M. Romeris ("Lietuvos konstitucinės teisės paskaitos", 1937), the development of political regime and its influence on the political party system was discussed. His monograph "Reprezentacija ir mandatas" (1926) studied the legal regulation of election and its influence of representation of citizenships in the government of the country. One of the most relevant to the subject of the research studies was conducted by E. Šileikis ("Politinių partijų instucionalizavimas", 1997), where he presented the historical development of regulation of political parties in Lithuania and outlined the significance of modern political parties more extensively. In J. Bulavas’ monograph ("Rinkimai ir ‘tautos atstovavimas’ buržuazinėje Lietuvoje", 1956), the legal status of political parties, military and emergency and high-security conditions in Lithuania during the interwar period were analyzed. His monograph "Klasės ir politinės partijos Lietuvoje 1919-1926 metais" (1978) studied the legal regulation of the political parties in the independent Lithuania. Article analyzes the normative legal acts of the independence period of Lithuania, which have regulated the formation of political parties, the legal framework of their activities and meetings. These normative legal acts’ influence on the formation of the political party system of Lithuania is discussed. The research is made on the legalization process of illegal organizations and political parties. It pays attention to the changes of legal regulation of political parties and its dependence on the regime. Moreover, the article compares legal regulation in different periods of development of the regime of the Republic of Lithuania in 1918-1940. Furthermore, the comparison of the changes of legal regulation within the periods of 1918–1926 (the period of the democratic regime) and 1926-1940 (the period of the undemocratic regime) is made