the failure of Gs political reforms

reforms 1988

the 19th party conference of 1988 introduced radical reforms to the government the party conference authorised multi candidate elections to the soviets this mean that soviet citizens could choose between tival communist candidates and elect either radicals or moderates

election 1989

the first multi-candidate election took place in march 1989 for the first time since 1921 communists had to campaign for election

several high ranking communists were defeated including five members of the central committee radicals on the other hand did well yeltsin won 90 percent of the vote in moscow

republic elections of 1990

the republic elections of march 1990 also weakened the communist party

• in Moscow for example a group called democratic russia won 85% of the seats

• in Leningrad the group democratic elections 90 another new anti communist group took 80 percent of the seats

gorbachev had assumed that democratisation strengthen the radicals within the communist however they actually weakened the party

the consequences of the reforms

overall the 1989 and 1990 election weakened the communist party

• the 1989 election also led to the formation of the inter regional deputies group led by yeltsin and andrei Sakharov the group was effectively an opposition to the communists therefore this was the first time since 1921 that an opposition group was organised

• Nationalists who wanted to break up the USSR used the election campaign for independence in Georgia these campaigns resulted in violence

• Yeltsin emerged from the election as a popular figure and rival to G. indeed Yeltsins desire to replace the USSR with a loose confederation of truly independent states was extremely with nationalists across the USSR and therefore a threat to the union

G had assured tat democratisation would strengthen the radicals within the communist party however soviet elections weakened the whole of the party increasing the authority of anti party and nationalist groups

constitutional reform

Democratisation had succeeded in weakening the communist party however it had not produced a strong government therefore in 1990 G introduced constitutional reforms to give himself new powers to deal with the USSRs growing economic and political problems

the presidency

G new constitution created the position of president of the USSR the new president would be appointed by the congress of peoples deputies. G hoped that being appointed president would give him new authority

following his appoint G was given emergency powers to deal with the economic crisis and with growing unrest in the republics

Gorbachev’s legitimacy

Gs appointment as president did not solve his problems in essence Gs new position was unelected and therefore he did not have the legitimacy that elected politicians could claim