Loris Melikov Constitution

• The late 1870s were a time of political crisis in Russia  (Russian army's failure against Turkey, famine swept the countryside and further assassination attempts on the Tsar)Led Alexander to accept, at least implicitly that the violence and unrest ,might be better curbed by widening democratic consultation.
• Count Mikhail Loris Melikov was appointed Minister of Internal Affairs.
• He released political prisonersrelaxed censorshipremoved the salt-taxlifted restrictions on the activities of the zemstva.
• The Third section was abolished and its powers transferred to the regular policeAlthough a special section which became known as the Okhrana was created and soon became just as oppressive.
• In 1880, Loris-Melikov produced a report, in response to zemstva  demands.It recommended the inclusion of elected representatives of the nobility, of the zemstva and of the town governments in debating the drafts of some state decreesThe proposals became known as the 'Loris-Melikov Constitutions
• Alexander II accepted and signed the report on the morning of 13th March 1881, calling for a meeting of the Council of Ministers to discuss the document. The same day, the Tsar was killed by a bomb.