Collected Works of V. I. Lenin - Vol. 26 - From Marx to Mao

379THESES ON THE CONSTITUENT ASSEMBLY1. The demand for the convocation of a ConstituentAssembly was a perfectly legitimate part of the programme ofrevolutionary Social-Democracy, because in a bourgeoisrepublic the Constituent Assembly represents the highestform of democracy and because, in setting up a Pre-parliament,the imperialist republic headed by Kerensky waspreparing to rig the elections and violate democracy in anumber of ways.2. While demanding the convocation of a ConstituentAssembly, revolutionary Social-Democracy has ever sincethe beginning of the Revolution of 1917 repeatedly emphasisedthat a republic of Soviets is a higher form of democracythan the usual bourgeois republic with a Constituent Assembly.3. For the transition from the bourgeois to the socialistsystem, for the dictatorship of the proletariat, the Republicof Soviets (of Workers’, Soldiers’ and Peasants’ Deputies)is not only a higher type of democratic institution (ascompared with the usual bourgeois republic crowned by aConstituent Assembly), but is the only form capable ofsecuring the most painless transition to socialism.4. The convocation of the Constituent Assembly in ourrevolution on the basis of lists submitted in the middle ofOctober 1917 is taking place under conditions which precludethe possibility of the elections to this ConstituentAssembly faithfully expressing the will of the people ingeneral and of the working people in particular.5. Firstly, proportional representation results in a faithfulexpression of the will of the people only when the party