The Liberal Democratic Party (, PLD), also referred to as the Liberal Democrats (), was a political party led by Manuel GarcÃÂa Prieto, Marquis of Alhucemas, who split from the Liberal Party in June 1913, shortly after the assassination of Prime Minister José Canalejas. The immediate causes of the split were the debate on the Law of CommonwealthsâÂÂinitiated under Canalejas and opposed by the then president of the Senate, Eugenio Montero RÃÂosâÂÂand the rivaly between Alhucemas and the Count of Romanones (who was the prime minister at the time) over the Liberal leadership. This clash would see the downfall of Romanones' government in October 1913 following its defeat in a vote of confidence in the Senate.
In the summer of 1915, Romanones and Alhucemas would temporarily ally against the Conservative government of Eduardo Dato, forming a joint government upon its downfall and running together in the 1916 general election.
The Liberal Democrats eventually went on to become the dominant liberal faction in the later stages of Restoration Spain.
The party was disestablished in 1923 following Miguel Primo de Rivera's coup d'état.