1949 East German Constitutional Assembly election

1949 East German Constitutional Assembly election

15–16 May 1949
All 1,525 seats in the German People's Congress
Turnout	95.23%
First party   Leader Wilhelm Pieck Party SED Alliance Democratic Bloc Leader since 22 April 1946 Seats won 450
Chairman of the Council of Ministers after election Otto Grotewohl SED

Ballot paper

Elections for the Third German People's Congress 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 was dominated by the Communist-leaning Socialist Unity Party of Germany (SED).^[2] The ballot was worded "I am for the unity of Germany and a just peace treaty. I therefore vote for the following list of candidates for the Third German People's Congress,"^[3] with voters having the options of voting "yes" and "no".^[4] In much of the country, the vote was not secret.^[5]

According to official figures, 95.2% of voters voted, and 66% of them approved the list,^[2] the lowest vote share an SED-dominated bloc received during the subsequent four decades of Communist rule. In all subsequent elections until the Peaceful Revolution, the National Front, successor to the Democratic Bloc, would win 99 percent or more of the vote.^[5]

Results

Party or alliance				Votes	%	Seats
	Democratic Bloc		Socialist Unity Party	7,943,949	66.07	450
			Christian Democratic Union			225
			Liberal Democratic Party			225
			Cooperatives			100
			Democratic Farmers' Party			75
			National Democratic Party			75
			Democratic Women's League			50
			Free German Trade Union Federation			50
			Free German Youth			50
			Cultural Association			50
			Peasants Mutual Aid Association			50
			Union of Persecutees of the Nazi Regime			50
			Social Democratic Party (East Berlin)			25
			Independents			50
Against				4,080,272	33.93	–
Total				12,024,221	100.00	1,525
Valid votes				12,024,221	93.30
Invalid/blank votes				863,013	6.70
Total votes				12,887,234	100.00
Registered voters/turnout				13,533,071	95.23
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 Volkskammer.

References

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