Union of Lithuanian Socialists (), and National Union of Lithuanian Catholics (). The gathering decided to establish the Council of the Lithuanian Nation (). Each party was to send three representatives to the council. The National Union of Lithuanian Catholics was not recognized as a party, but the Party of National Progress was. The council elected a six-member presidium: chairman Stasys Šilingas, first vice-chairman , second vice-chairman , secretary , second secretary Antanas Tumėnas, treasurer . At the same time, the council adopted a declaration that Lithuania was a separate ethnic, cultural, and political entity that should be granted autonomy. The plan was to read the declaration at the Russian State Duma, but it was not reconvened and the declaration was not made public. The council convened again on and established the 12-member Temporary Committee for Governing Lithuania (). Two seats were reserved for each of six political parties. Another 12 seats were reserved for national minorities (six for Belarusians, three for Jews, two for Poles, and one for Russians). The Temporary Committee declared its intentions to take over evacuated Lithuanian institutions, govern Vilna and Kovno Governorates, organize the return of war refugees, foster economic recovery of war-torn Lithuania, demand war reparations, prepare elections to the Constituent Assembly. In essence, the Temporary Committee was supposed to be an embryo of a Lithuanian provisional government. This plan was presented to Duke Georgy Lvov, Prime Minister of the Russian Provisional Government, and was published in the official publication Laws (). A delegation visited the Petrograd Soviet which expressed its support to the principle of self-determination and promised to support the Lithuanian cause. Another declaration was presented to Fyodor Kokoshkin who was organizing the Russian Constituent Assembly, but Russian politicians did not respond. Petrograd Seimas On , the Council of the Lithuanian Nation decided to organize the Petrograd Seimas hoping that it would boost its authority and recognition. The deputies were not appointed but elected in local elections that were organized in 42 cities in Russia free of German forces. The deputies could be elected by all Lithuanians over 18 years of age. One deputy represented 200 people. In total, 334 deputies arrived to Petrograd but only 320 were recognized as properly elected. Among elected deputies, there were a couple Bolsheviks who read a statement and withdrew from the conference. From the very beginning, there were major disagreements between the various parties. Election