From the moment of regaining independence by Lithuania, the Polish and Lithuanian state authorities felt the need to establish closer relations. This led to signing the Treaty between the Republic of Lithuania and the Polish Republic on friendly relations and neighborly cooperation in Vilnius on 26th April 1994. The article discusses its implementation by the Polish authorities (and the laws guaranteed for the Lithuanians, among others: the spelling of names and use of their mother tongue in public life; own education, access to public media). Analysis of normative material and practice shows that both the existing legal regulations in Poland regarding national minorities and policies of the state and local authorities, provide good conditions for the preservation of Lithuanians culture, their national identity and economic development as well as protect the Lithuanian minority against assimilation.
The article contains a concise discussion of the election issues contained in the constitution of 1935 and in both the 1935 electoral ordinances to the Sejm and the Senate, as well as the analysis of the results of the parliamentary elections held in 1935 and 1938. The low voter turnout in 1935 was caused by the boycotting of the elections by the opposition groups. On the other hand, in 1938, despite the fact that the opposition had announced a boycott of the elections, the turnout in the elections to the Sejm increased by 21.2% and by 7.6% to the Senate. This was caused by an increase of international tension, the incorporation of Zaolzie Silesia into Poland, forcing Lithuania to establish diplomatic relations, as well as an improvement in the economic situation in the country and an increase in investments in industrial districts. Moreover, in every society there is a certain fraction of voters abstaining from voting due to a lack of interest in the political life of the country.
PL
Artykuł zawiera zwięzłe omówienie problematyki wyborczej zawartej w konstytucji z 1935 r. i w obu ordynacjach wyborczych z 1935 r. do Sejmu i do Senatu, a także analizy wyników wyborów parlamentarnych przeprowadzonych w latach 1935 i 1938. Do niskiej frekwencji wyborczej w 1935 r. przyczyniło się zbojkotowanie wyborów przez ugrupowania opozycyjne. Natomiast w 1938 r. pomimo ogłoszenia bojkotu wyborów przez opozycję nastąpił wzrost frekwencji wyborczej do Sejmu o 21,2% i do Senatu o 7,6%. Spowodowane to było wzrostem napięcia międzynarodowego, przyłączeniem do Polski Śląska Zaolziańskiego, zmuszeniem Litwy do nawiązania stosunków dyplomatycznych, a także poprawą sytuacji gospodarczej w kraju i wzrostem inwestycji w okręgach przemysłowych. Ponadto w każdym społeczeństwie istnieje pewien ułamek wyborców powstrzymujących się od głosowania ze względu na brak zainteresowania życiem politycznym kraju.