1947 Constantinopolitan general election (The Sublime Porte)

The 1947 Constantinopolitan general election was held on September 14, 1947 to elect members of the Chamber of Deputies. This snap election was called by President Adamyan following a vote of no confidence in the government of Giulio Mongeri. The result was a victory for the newly formed National Republican Party, who gained a significant plurality of the vote, marking the beginning of their domination over Constantinopolitan politics. This election marked the beginning of a shift in Constantinopolitan politics from ethnic interest parties towards wider inter-ethnic organizations. The voter turnout had grown to 84.1%.

Background
The short tenure of the first Chamber of Deputies proved to be a chaotic one, as the government majority was gradually reduced to a minority in May of 1947, leading to the eventual vote of no confidence on August 8. This collapse was caused by the active social policy of Prime Minister Mongeri in the spring of 1947, when the government successively introduced laws on secularism and women's rights, causing the defection of the socially conservative Hellenic People's Party and the pro-religious Armenian Democratic Party.

In the summer, the three inter-ethnic liberal parties (Radical Party, Republican Party, and Liberal Republican Party) united into the National Republican Party under the leadership of popular newcomer Alexis Nikopoulos. At the same time, the Republican Socialist Party and various social-democratic movements were incorporated into the Democratic Front. These new parties provided a viable liberal and social-democratic alternatives to the previously dominant ethnic parties. During the campaign, the National Republican Party appealed to the population's demand for stability by arguing for the continuation of British policies that had quelled ethnic tensions in the 1920s and 1930s while still appearing socially progressive, leading to a late surge in the polls that ultimately led its to victory.

Meanwhile, the traditional ethnic parties were in disarray over their support or opposition to the government's controversial bills, leading to the splintering of their vote towards the more conservative Islamic Alliance or the more progressive National Republican Party, depleting them of much of their support.

Governments
The second Chamber of Deputies only had one prime minister and government for the entirety of its term in office:
 * 1947-1950: Nikopoulos I government, NRP - TRP

Legislation
The first Nikopoulos government is remembered for two significant legislative acts, both of which were inherited from the previous Mongeri governments, the Religious Law and the Women's Suffrage Law. The Religious Law, adopted in 1948, limited freedom of expression for religious leaders and enforced further secularism in the education system. The 1949 Women's Suffrage Law marked a major victory for the women's rights movement in Constantinople, as women were now granted full voting rights in all elections at all levels.

Economically, Nikopoulos' government continued the economic liberalization of the previous governments, opening Constantinople to international trade and international investment. This, coupled with the economic growth over the previous years, led to rising demands for further social reforms that would benefit the average worker, fueling the rise of socialist and communist opposition.