Changes in the political system of the USSR and the transition to a new procedure of elections to government bodies in 1985-1991

The article is devoted to the relevant issues of the institution of improving Russian electoral law during the years of perestroika. The nuances of the formation of a new legislative framework of the country for the elections of people's deputies of the USSR and the RSFSR, the conditions for the selection of candidates for deputies, public participation in this process, which caused an unprecedented rise in public activity in the country, are considered. The legal basis for the election campaign in 1989 and 1990 is analyzed, including elements of alternativeness, competitiveness and political competition. Such previously completely impossible phenomena as freedom of speech, campaigning for and against candidates for deputies, and control over the course of elections by the public were established in legislation and developed. In conclusion, the authors come to the conclusion that the elections of people's deputies of the USSR and the RSFSR in 1989 and 1990 reflected significant changes that occurred in the country's political system during the years of perestroika.