Congress of People's Deputies of the Soviet Union
Meaningful changes also occurred in governmental structures. In December 1988, the Supreme Soviet of the Soviet Union approved formation of the Congress of People's Deputies of the Soviet Union, which constitutional amendments had established as the Soviet Union's new legislative body. The Supreme Soviet then dissolved itself. The amendments called for a smaller working body of 542 members, also called the Supreme Soviet, to be elected from the 2,250-member Congress of People's Deputies. To ensure a Communist majority in the new parliament, Gorbachev reserved one-third of the seats for the CPSU and other public organisations.