1946 Czechoslovak parliamentary election

1946 Czechoslovak parliamentary election
	All 300 seats in the Constituent National Assembly; 151 seats needed for a majority
Turnout	93.86%
Zdeněk Fierlinger; ČSSD	Klement Gottwald; KSČ

Parliamentary elections were held in Czechoslovakia on 26 May 1946.^[1] The Communist Party of Czechoslovakia emerged as the largest party, winning 114 of the 300 seats (93 for the main party and 21 for its Slovak branch) with 38% of the vote. The Communist vote share was higher than any party had ever achieved in a Czechoslovak parliamentary election; previously, no party had ever won more than 25%. Voter turnout was 94%.^[2] The national results also determined the composition of the Slovak National Council and local committees.

This was one of only two free nationwide elections held in the Eastern Bloc, the other having been held in Hungary a year earlier.^[3] Two years later, the Communists staged a coup d'etat and forced President Edvard Beneš to appoint a Communist-dominated government.^[4] As a result, the 1946 election was the last free and fair election held in Czechoslovakia until 1990.^[5]

Background

After World War II a 300-member Interim National Assembly was formed and met for the first time on 28 October 1945.^[6] The Assembly created a new electoral system with the country divided into 28 multi-member constituencies.^[7] 150 members were elected from Bohemia, 81 from Moravia and Silesia and 69 from Slovakia. The voting age was lowered to 18, but only Czechs, Slovaks and other Slavs could register to vote.^[6]

Opinion polls

Date	Polling firm	KSČ	ČSNS	ČSL	ČSSD	Blank votes	Notes
Date	Polling firm					Blank votes	Notes
April 1946	ÚVVM^[8]	39.6	22.5	19.2	16.0	2.7	Only Bohemia and Moravia

Results



Party		Votes	%	Seats	+/–
	Communist Party of Czechoslovakia	2,205,697	31.19	93	+63
	Czechoslovak National Social Party	1,298,980	18.37	55	+27
	Czechoslovak People's Party	1,111,009	15.71	46	+24
	Democratic Party	999,622	14.14	43	New
	Czechoslovak Social Democracy	855,538	12.10	37	–1
	Communist Party of Slovakia	489,596	6.92	21	New
	Freedom Party	60,195	0.85	3	New
	Labour Party	50,079	0.71	2	New
Total		7,070,716	100.00	300	0

Valid votes		7,070,716	99.17
Invalid votes		27,250	0.38
Blank votes		32,177	0.45
Total votes		7,130,143	100.00
Registered voters/turnout		7,596,947	93.86
Source: Nohlen & Stöver

Bohemia, Moravia and Silesia


Party		Votes	%	Seats
	Communist Party of Czechoslovakia	2,205,697	40.31	93
	Czechoslovak National Social Party	1,298,980	23.74	55
	Czechoslovak People's Party	1,111,009	20.31	46
	Czechoslovak Social Democracy	855,538	15.64	37
Total		5,471,224	100.00	231

Source: Statistical Handbook

Slovakia


Party		Votes	%	Seats
	Democratic Party	999,622	62.50	43
	Communist Party of Slovakia	489,596	30.61	21
	Freedom Party	60,195	3.76	3
	Labour Party	50,079	3.13	2
Total		1,599,492	100.00	69

Source: Statistical Handbook

Aftermath

Following the elections, Communist leader Klement Gottwald formed a coalition government. However, the Communists gradually tightened their grip on the country. After the non-Communist members resigned from the Cabinet on 25 February 1948, the Communists seized full control of the country.^[9]^[10]

References

[1]

[2]

[3]

[4]

[5]

[6]

[7]

[8]

[9]

[10]

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