The 1998 elections to the parliament of the Republic of Podlasie were considered controversial almost from the outset. The Independent and Centrist Citizens entered into a coalition with the Christian Parliamentary Initiative, taking the name of the Right-Liberal Civic Committee. Their programme had a distinctly pro-capitalist slant, particularly in relation to the Podlasie political spectrum. Politicians from the People's Peasant's Union and the Party of Socialists and Workers accused the RLCC of being Western-funded, and claimed that their economic reform plan would create extreme social inequalities and significantly worsen the living situation of the majority of Podlasie's population, especially the rural population, which made up around 60% of the country's total population. In the end, the election was won by the RLCC with 35%. The Social Democratic Alliance came second (20.8%) and the previous ruling party, the PPU, third (19.8%). Minority committees gained a total of 13%, while the Bloc for Democracy, the Party of Socialists and Workers and the Patriotic Confederation for the Renewal of the Russian Empire achieved support of less than 10% (5.7%, 3.8% and 1.9% respectively). 