Krajowe Stronnictwo Ludowe Ziem Litewsko–Białoruskich „Zjednoczenie” i jego organ prasowy „Wioska” w kampanii wyborczej do Sejmu II kadencji (1928–1930)

Abstrakt

In this article the political and publishing activity of the Native Peasants’ Party of Lithuanian-Belorussian Lands ‘Unification’ was presented, which has hitherto been omitted in the studies of the history of Polish political parties in the interwar period. The formation of this new political organization was inspired by the central authorities of Pilsudski’s ruling camp. Its main task was to keep under surveillance, and finally take over or split political structures of peasants’ and Belorussian parties acting in the northeastern provinces of the Second Republic of Poland (those of Vilnius and Nowogrodek), which in the assessment of the representatives of the post-May regime could pose a threat to the electoral register of the Nonpartisan Bloc for Cooperation with the Government. Similar activities were undertaken by supporters of Pilsudski during the election campaign for the Second Term Sejm (1928–1930) all over the country. The press organ of the new party was a weekly ‘Village’, which was published at the beginning of 1928. Apart from that, the party’s authorities issued their announcements and political programme on the pages of ‘Kurier Wilenski’ and ‘Białoruski Dzień’. The latter title functioned as a platform for Native Peasants’ Party of Lithuanian-Belorussian Lands ‘Unification’ aimed at the Belorussian population inhabiting the so-called Eastern borderlands of the Second Republic of Poland.