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The Estonian Constituent Assembly (Estonian: Asutav kogu) was elected on 5-7 April 1919, [1] called by the Estonian Provisional Government during the Estonian War of Independence. The Assembly was elected by proportional representation. Eligible voters included soldiers at the front. The elections were won by left-wing and centrist parties.[2]
The 120 members of the Constituent Assembly met at the opening session on 23 April 1919, the birthday of the Estonian Parliament[1] and elected the chairman, Social Democrat August Rei. On 7 May the Assembly passed the Public Elementary Schools Act: The principle of compulsory and free primary 6-year elementary school education was established.[3] On 8 May 1919 the Estonian provisional government resigned, and the first fully democratically elected Government of Estonia headed by Prime Minister Otto Strandman (Estonian Labor Party) took office. On 15 May the assembly reaffirmed the Estonian Declaration of Independence, aimed at the international community for recognizing Estonia as an independent state. On 4 June 1919 the Assembly adopted a temporary Constitution of Estonia. On 10 October 1919 The Land Reform Act was passed which confiscated and redistributed the Baltic German estates, ending the 700 years possession of the regions that the Germans had gained after the Livonian Crusade.[4] On 13 February the Peace Treaty of Tartu was ratified, signed by Estonia and Russian SFSR on 2 February. The first Constitution of Estonia was adopted on 15 June 1920. After the constitution had entered into effect and the first parliamentary elections were held, the Constituent Assembly disbanded itself on 20 December 1920.[2]
| Party | Ideology | Votes | % | MPs | % of MPs | % of MPs swing |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Estonian Social Democratic Workers' Party (Eesti Sotsiaaldemokraatline Tööliste Partei) |
Social democracy | 152,341 | 32.6% | 41 | 34.2% | 17.8% |
| Estonian Labour Party (Eesti Tööerakond) |
Centre-left | 114,879 | 24.6% | 30 | 25.0% | 17.7% |
| Estonian People's Party (Eesti Rahvaerakond) |
Centre-right | 94,892 | 20.3% | 25 | 20.8% | 8.1% |
| Estonian Country People's Union (Eesti Maarahva Liit) |
Agrarianism, conservative | 29,989 | 6.4% | 8 | 6.7% | 17.0% |
| Party of Estonian Socialists-Revolutionaries (Eesti Sotsialistide-Revolutsionääride Partei) |
Socialist revolutionary | 26,536 | 5.7% | 7 | 5.8% | 8.7% |
| Estonian Christian Peoples Party (Eesti Kristlik Rahvaerakond) |
Christian conservatism | 20,157 | 4.3% | 5 | 4.2% | 4.2% |
| German Party in Estonia (Saksa erakond Eestis) |
Minority interests | 11,462 | 2.4% | 3 | 2.5% | 0.7% |
| Party of the Residents of Hiiumaa island (Hiiu saare elanike partei) |
Regional interests | 11,090 | 2.4% | — | — | — |
| Russian Citizens' Assembly (Vene Kodanike Kogu) |
Minority interests | 5,765 | 1.2% | 1 | 0.8% | 0.2% |
| All-Estonian Sailors' Union (Üle-eestimaaline Meremeeste Liit) |
Interest group | 795 | 0.2% | — | — | — |
| Total valid votes | Turnout 80% | 467,906 | 100.00% | 120 | ||
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