Reforming the electoral system

The Soviet electoral system has traditionally been a highly centralized one in which no choice of candidate has been permitted. Proposals for reform, following Gorbachev's speech to the twenty‐seventh party congress in 1986, suggested at least a limited experiment with a choice of candidates in some constituencies, and the local elections of July 1987 duly took place under revised regulations in which more candidates than seats available were nominated in 23,141 constituencies (just over one per cent of the total). Although the usual elements of formalism were still present, there were some prominent casualties in the multi‐member constituencies and some evidence of more considered participation by voters. Reforms of this kind appear to be popular and may contribute to the development of somewhat more consultative forms of government in the future.