A chronicle of the actions of 1–11 March 1990 for the restoration of the independent state of Lithuania

CC BY-NC-ND 4.0On 24 February 1990, for the first time since the occupation of Lithuania by the Soviet Union in 1940, free elections were held to the puppet Supreme Council of the Lithuanian Soviet Socialist Republic. The Lithuanian Sąjūdis (the National Freedom Movement) in its official election program pledged on behalf of the new Lithuanian Supreme Council to declare without delay the restoration of an independent, democratic state of Lithuania. This was in accordance with the Lithuanian Sąjūdis striving to abolish the Soviet annexation of Lithuania by parliamentary resolution. After the first round of the 24 February 1990 elections, it already became clear that Lithuanian Sąjūdis candidates would win the election by a large margin. After the second round of elections, on 10 March, the Lithuanian Sąjūdis anticipated a majority of around two thirds in the national parliament of 141 deputies, and obtained a strong majority mandate from the nation to restore the independent state of Lithuania