V. I. Lenin

Declaration Of The R.S.D.L.P. (Bolsheviks)
Group At The Constituent Assembly Meeting

January 5 (18), 1918 [1]

The vast majority of working Russia—workers, peasants and
soldiers—have demanded that the Constituent Assembly should
recognise the gains of the Great October Revolution, the Soviet
decrees on land, peace and workers’ control, and above all
the power of the Soviets of Workers’, Soldiers’ and
Peasants’ Deputies. The All-Russia Central Executive
Committee, fulfilling the will of the vast majority of the
working classes of Russia, has proposed that the Constituent
Assembly should declare itself bound by t.his will. However, the
majority of the Constituent Assembly—in line with the pretensions of the bourgeoisie, has rejected this proposal,
thereby challenging the whole of working Russia.

The majority in the Constituent Assembly went to the Party of
the Right Socialist-Revolutionaries, the party of Kerensky,
Avksentyev and Chernov. This party, which calls itself socialist
and revolutionary, is leading the fight of the bourgeois
elements against the workers’ and peasants’ revolution and is in fact a bourgeois and counter-revolutionary party.

The Constituent Assembly, as at present constituted, is the
result of the balance of forces obtaining before the Great
October Revolution. The present counter-revolutionary majority
of the Constituent Assembly elected on outdated party lists, is
a reflection of an earlier period of the revolution and is
trying to throw up a roadblock in the way of the workers’
and peasants’ movement.

The day-long debate has shown that the Party of Right
Socialist-Revolutionaries continues, as it did under Kerensky,
to lavish the people with promises of all manner of things;
actually it has decided In light against the power of the
workers’, peasants’ and soldiers’ Soviets, against the socialist measures, the transfer of land and all
implements to the peasants without compensation, the nationalisation of banks, and the repudiation of the state debt.

Refusing for a single moment to cover up the crimes of the
enemies of the people, we make this announcement of our
withdrawal from the Constituent Assembly, leaving it to Soviet
power to take the final decision on the attitude to the
counter-revolutionary section of the Constituent Assembly.

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Notes:
[1]
When the counter-revolutionary majority of the Constituent
Assembly refused to discuss the §Declaration of Rights of
the Working and Exploited People”, the Bolshevik and Left
Socialist-Revolutionary groups demanded an adjournment to allow
the groups to confer. Lenin made a short speech at the meeting
of the Bolshevik group (no record of it remains). He proposed
that his declaration of the Bolshevik group should be read out
in the Assembly, after which the Bolsheviks would walk out. His
proposal was adopted by the group.

When the Bolsheviks left, the Left
Socialist-Revolutionaries, whose attitude to the Constituent
Assembly was uncertain, motioned an immediate vote on the attitude
to the policy of peace conducted by Soviet power. When this
proposal was rejected by the Right wing, the Left
Socialist-Revolutionaries walked out as well.

Shortly after, P. E. Dybenko, People’s
Commissar for the Navy; who was in charge of security in the
Taurida Palace, ordered the guard to close the sitting of the
Constituent Assembly. When Lenin heard of this, he issued the
following instructions: “The comrades soldiers and sailors on
guard duty in the Taurida Palace must refrain from any acts of
violence in respect of the counterrevolutionary section of the
Constituent Assembly, freely allowing everyone to leave the
Taurida Palace, but allowing no one in without a special
pass. Chairman of the Council of People’s Commissars,
V. Ulyanov (Lenin). (Lenin Miliscellany XVIII,
p. 46. Published in Russian.) The Constituent Assembly adjourned
at 4:40 am, on January 6 (49), 1918.