East German Constitutional Assembly election, 1949

East Germany
This article is part of a series on the
politics and government of
East Germany

Elections for a Constitutional Assembly were held in East Germany on 15 and 16 May 1949.[1] Voters were presented with a "Unity List" from the "Bloc of the Anti-Fascist Democratic Parties," which in turn was dominated by the Communist Socialist Unity Party.[2] They only had the option of approving or rejecting the list. In much of the country, the vote was not secret.[3]

According to official figures, 95.2% of voters turned out, and 66% of them approved the list.[2] This would be the lowest vote share an SED-dominated bloc would claim during the four decades of Communist rule in East Germany. In subsequent years the National Front, successor to the Democratic Bloc, would claim to win vote shares in excess of 99%.[3]

Results

Choice Votes %
Unity List7,943,94966.1
Against4,080,27233.9
Invalid/blank votes863,013–
Total12,887,234100
Registered voters/turnout13,533,07195.2
Source: Nohlen & Stöver

Aftermath

The Constitutional Assembly adopted East Germany's first constitution in October, and proclaimed the establishment of the German Democratic Republic on 7 October. It then transformed itself into the first People's Chamber (Volkskammer) of East Germany.

References

  1. ↑ Dirk Spilker (2006) The East German Leadership and the Division of Germany: Patriotism and Propaganda 1945-1953, Clarendon Press, p184
  2. 1 2 Dieter Nohlen & Phillip Stöver (2010) Elections in Europe: A data handbook, p771 ISBN 978-3-8329-5609-7
  3. 1 2 Germany at Encyclopædia Britannica


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