THE ALASH PARTY AND THE ALL-RUSSIAN CONSTITUENT ASSEMBLY

Abstract

The All-Russian Constituent Assembly, a representative body of post-revolutionary Russia, was elected in November 1917 and convened in January 1918 to determine the state structure of the country. Organizing the Assembly was one of the primary tasks of th e Provisional Government. However, the planned convocation, initially expected within the shortest possible time, was delayed for nine months. According to a telegram sent on March 16, 1917 from Minsk by a large group of Kazakh national intellectuals headed by A. N. Bukeikhan, the Kazakh people — under the initiative and leadership of the “Alash” leaders—were carefully preparing for the elections to the All -Russian Constituent Assembly. The resolutions of all Kazakh regional kurultais, as well as the July national kurultai, were identical: they called upon the Assembly to proclaim Russia a Democratic Federative Republic. Like other colonial peoples of the former Russian Empire, the Kazakhs and their leaders reasonably placed great hopes on the Constituent Assembly, expecting it to recognize their inalienable right to self -determination and the revival of their national statehood.