Democratisation, 1989-90

• Gorbachev introduced multi-candidate elections to the Supreme Soviet in 1989, giving Soviet citizens the right to vote in elections where there was a choice of Communist Party candidates and independent candidates could also stand for election.
• Multi-candidate elections stripped the Communist Party of any power to appoint candidates, shifting power from Party leadership to the people.
• However, the reforms were only partial as 750 members of the Congress of People's Deputies were still appointed by the Communist Party and other officials, and citizens could not vote for political parties.
• The Supreme Soviet was given the right to meet for two three-month sessions every year, and was partly independent from Party leadership, weakening the Party.