Since the Russian SFSR enjoyed only limited autonomy within the Soviet Union until late into the perestroika period and since real executive power was in the hands of the Soviet Communist Party until 1990, the Supreme Soviet and its Presidium were mostly ceremonial. However, they became important in early 1990 when a newly elected Russian Congress of People's Deputies was split between Communist loyalists and their opponents. After days of parliamentary maneuvering, Boris Yeltsin was elected Chairman in May 1990. Soon thereafter, he resigned from the Communist Party and started building an independent power base within the Russian SFSR, which proved to be an important step on the way to the Soviet collapse in late 1991.