National Front for the Implementation of the Constitution

The National Front for the Implementation of the Constitution (Estonian: Põhiseaduse Elluviimise Rahvarinne, PER) was a political movement in Estonia. For all intents and purposes, it was an enlarged version of the Patriotic League, the only legally permitted party in the country.

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

History

In 1936—two years after Konstantin Päts's self-coup in 1934—the Patriotic League had been established as the sole legal party in the country.[1] A National Assembly was elected in 1936 to draw up a new constitution. Prior to the 1938 elections the Patriotic League set up the National Front to run in the elections,[1] which were not entirely free and fair.[2] The PER was the only organisation to contest the elections, although independent candidates were also allowed to run.[3] The PER won 64 of the 80 seats,[4] eight of them unopposed.[5]

In 1940 the Soviet Union began its occupation of the country and all non-Communist political parties were banned.

References
  1. Vincent E McHale (1983) Political parties of Europe, Greenwood Press, p380 ISBN 0-313-23804-9
  2. Dieter Nohlen & Philip Stöver (2010) Elections in Europe: A data handbook, p566 ISBN 978-3-8329-5609-7
  3. Nohlen & Stöver, p583
  4. Nohlen & Stöver, p587
  5. Nohlen & Stöver, p568
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