The Manchurian premierial election, 1990 was held on the 27th January 1990. It was the second premierial election to be held directly and the first to allow multi-party candidates. Previously Manchuria had been a single party socialist state with power monopolised in the hands of the Communist Party of Manchuria. In the summer of 1989 in response to discontent in the Eastern Bloc protests were held around Manchuria against communist rule setting off the Orchid Revolution. The unrest culminated with the First Secretary of the CPM Tao Shiyou being ousted by the Premier Yuan Xiang as leader of the CPM who called for elections in January.