Facing a spillover of the unrests throughout Eastern Europe that began in Poland, the Tajik Soviet Socialist Republic, among other republics of the USSR declared its sovereignty. On August 24, 1990, for the second session of the Supreme Soviet of the Tajik SSR adopted the Declaration "On the Sovereignty of the Tajik SSR." But this sovereignty was declared while the Soviet Union still existed. Despite this, the declaration was only the first document to on the path to the real independence of Tajikistan, with the former Minister of Justice stating that, "Declaration was the first document towards independence. For example, it is the fifth article that had given the Supreme Council of the Republic the authority to stop the action of the documents of the USSR, which contradicted the legal rights in Tajikistan." After the failed coup organized by the State Committee on the State of Emergency in August 1991, the national republics began the process of proclaiming national independence. The Communist Party of Tajikistan, which had been ruling the republic, was also formally dissolved. On September 9, 1991 at the session Supreme Soviet, a Resolution and Declaration "On State Independence of the Republic of Tajikistan" was adopted, being formally signed by acting president Qadriddin Aslonov. Tajikistan gained independence formally on December 26, 1991 in connection with the dissolution of the Soviet Union.