Socialist People's Front

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Socialist People's Front
Socialistinis liaudies frontas
European affiliationINITIATIVE
International affiliationIMCWP
Continental affiliationCPSU (2001)
Lithuanian parliament
0 / 141
European Parliament
0 / 12
Local councils
2 / 1,526
Website
slfrontas.lt

The Socialist People's Front (SPF;

Lithuanian Socialist Party. Held at Vilnius University, the party's foundation featured 102 delegates. The merger was approved by an affirmative vote of 96 delegates, with three against and one abstaining. The leader of the Lithuanian Socialist Party, Giedrius Petružis, refused candidacy for chairperson of the merged party, claiming a desire to return to academic life. The leader of the Front Party, Algirdas Paleckis, was unanimously chosen as the leader of the SPF.[2]

In December 2017, the party was reorganized into a political association, as it was liquidated in 2016 for lacking the minimum required number of members for a party.[3]

Ideology and Political Programme

The ideology of the SPF is

international nongovernmental organizations that adhere to the principles of democracy and socialism."[4]
The goals of the party include "the institution of democratic socialism in Lithuania and the strengthening of a unified public, whose members help each other." The by-laws also indicate that:

In its political action the party follows the guidelines set by a creatively developing

Marxist theory and methodology, advances made by western social democracies, the positive beginnings of Soviet socialism, the achievements of the capitalist system beneficial to society, and the principles of humanitarianism, equal rights, and solidarity... The SPF represents physical and intellectual work done on behalf of the interests of the workers in the private, public, and governmental spheres. The SPF protects the rights of small and middle-sized businesses. Its persistent concern is the problems faced by recipients of welfare. The SPF will seek to achieve its goals only by peaceful, political means, respecting the Constitution of Lithuania, laws, and international acts and principles that defend human rights.[4]

Structure

The SPF congress is the supreme organ of the party. The congress chooses the party's executive council, which oversees and organizes the activity of the party in between congresses, received decisions regarding creating coalitions with other parties, and approves the budget, any reports on the use of funds, and the candidacy of the head of the election committee. The party's sole leader is the chairperson. Territorial subgroups of the party are its chapters and groups.

Participation in elections

The party participated in the

Vilnius City Council. The party council decided not to participate in the 2016 parliamentary election
.

Controversies

The SPF caused controversy twice in 2010 when members of the party were denied entry into

persona non-grata list because of his political views and activities.[5] In late June, SPF activists, along with anti-fascists from Latvia, were denied entry on their way to protest a meeting of veterans of the 20th Waffen Grenadier Division of the SS near the Vaivara concentration camp.[6] The activists were told that their vehicle was not fit for entry, and, according to the SPF, the only member of the SPF who managed the border crossing into Estonia was not on the official SPF list of activists and had not been mentioned by name by protest organizers over the telephone.[7]

In 2011, Lithuanian authorities had initiated prosecution against Paleckis for his denial of

litas on June 12, 2012.[12]
Paleckis himself claimed that there was purportedly no independent investigation into the events of January 13, 1991 at the Vilnius TV tower.

The party also hails the Constitution of

.

During the demonstration to commemorate Independence Day of Lithuania on February 15, 2014, the leader of Kaunas' branch Giedrius Grabauskas commented on the Act of March 11 as the one "having brought severe consequences to Lithuania".[13]

During the events of

EuroMaidan the party was one of very few in Lithuania who clearly expressed support for a then-president Viktor Yanukovych
. On May 20, 2014 the party, together with other small radical organisations, organised a small rally in front of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs to voice its opposition towards Lithuanian foreign policy during the Russia-Ukraine conflict, making accusations for "representing the interests of the US and EU, not Lithuanian ones".

A former leader Algirdas Paleckis left the party in January 2016, just before the Parliamentary election. He motivated such a decision by "diverted opinions with the party leadership", their "overestimation of the significance of rallies and underestimation of the one of participation in the election". As a result, Paleckis participated in the election as an independent candidate in Naujoji Vilnia.[14] The party with a new leadership started to use more nationalist rhetoric.

Political positions

Even though the party is economically

2014 referendum on banning sale of land to foreigners
.

The party also opposes quotas for

Way of Courage and right-wing populist Union of the Fighters for Lithuania.[16]

Leadership

References

  1. ^ "Politinių partijų narių sarasai" (PDF). www.tm.lt/ (in Lithuanian). October 2, 2014. Retrieved February 13, 2016.
  2. ^ Karštas komentaras: „Frontas“ ir Socialistų partija susijungė į Socialistinį liaudies frontą
  3. ^ Antanavičius, Ugnius (December 19, 2018). "A.Paleckio įkurto „fronto" pirmininkas nuo politiko neatsiriboja: laikome jį bendražygiu". 15min.lt (in Lithuanian). Vėliau ši partija buvo likviduota, tačiau nuo 2017 m. gruodžio yra pertvarkyta į asociaciją. ("The party was later liquidated, but was reorganized to a political association in December of 2017.")
  4. ^ a b Socialistinio Liaudies Fronto statutas Archived July 22, 2011, at the Wayback Machine
  5. ^ Lithuanian radical denied entry into Estonia BNS/alfa.lt article retrieved August 27, 2010.
  6. ^ Lithuanian, Latvian antifascists barred from entering Estonia to protest congress of SS veterans Interfax article retrieved August 27, 2010.
  7. ^ EXTRA :Saugant buvusių SSinkų ir jų gerbėjų ramybę. Neįleisti SLF ir kitų antifašistinių judėjimų nariai. Archived July 22, 2011, at the Wayback Machine SLF Info article in Lithuanian retrieved August 27, 2010.
  8. ^ "Lithuanian former journalist says country tried to deny speech, send him to prison".
  9. ^ "Algirdas Paleckis found guilty of denying Soviet aggression".
  10. ^ "Algirdas Paleckis, or a new Dreyfus case in Europe?". REGNUM news.
  11. ^ "Algirdas Paleckis found guilty of denying Soviet aggression".
  12. ^ United States Department of State
  13. ^ Paleckininkus suerzino šmaikšūs studentų plakatai
  14. ^ "Algirdas Paleckis palieka "Frontą"".
  15. ^ „Socialistinis“ liaudies frontas pasisako už konservatyvias vertybes ir konservatyvią šeimos sampratą
  16. ^ "Puslapis - Laisvas Laikraštis". June 2, 2020.

External links