However, in reality the elections were staged, the Soviet had very little actual power and carried out orders given by the Communist Party of Lithuania (CPL).

The political power shifted from CPL to the Soviet, which adopted a number of important constitutional amendments and laws, paving the way for the independence.

The sessions of the Supreme Soviet lasted only several days twice a year and decisions were made unanimously and without much discussion.

Until the dedicated Seimas Palace was completed in 1981, the Soviet gathered at the Russian Drama Theater of Lithuania.

The candidates were selected so that each Soviet had the same proportion of social groups; for example, women comprised about a third of the delegates, factory workers about a half.

Inspired and encouraged by perestroika and glastnost, the Lithuanians began taking steps towards independence or at least autonomy from the Soviet Union.

[8] The political power shifted from the Central Committee of the Communist Party of Lithuania to the Supreme Soviet, which transformed itself from a rubber stamp institution to an actual legislature.

[8] In August 1989, the Soviet announced that the 1939 Molotov–Ribbentrop Pact directly resulted in the Baltics being forcibly incorporated into the USSR in 1940.

[9] During its first three sessions on March 11, 1990, the Soviet elected Vytautas Landsbergis as the chairman and adopted the Act of the Re-Establishment of the State of Lithuania.