Destruction of the institutions of local administration and the formation of executive committees at Lithuania in 1940-1941

When in the middle of June of 1940 the red army occupied Lithuania, the Communist party started to destroy the institutions of local administration. In order to mask annexational goals, the Communist party appointed popular social men of democratic views, having authority, very often even non-party people, to be the heads of the most important Lithuanian towns and districts. Most of the former heads of local administration were subjected to repression: they were imprisoned or taken away from Lithuania later. New heads of districts and burgomasters of towns were forced to accomplish the policy of the Communist party. Their activity was strictly controlled by the Soviet security service. In autumn of 1940, the posts of the heads of districts and burgomasters of towns were abolished, as they did not agree with the Soviet political system. Executive committees were formed instead of local administrations. Executive committees were typical units of Soviet government. The formation of executive committees continued until the spring of 1941. Many Lithuanians were ill-disposed towards setting up of those executive committees, some of them even opposed it. As a rule, the leaders of the executive committees were appointed members of the Lithuanian Communist party, having poor education or no education at all. There flourished bureaucratism and protectionism in the local government of Soviet Lithuania — in executive committees — as in the whole machinery of the Soviet power