News From the Soviet Union

From Newspaper
Voice of a Communist
Moscow

Liquidation and Rebirth of the Communist Party of
Kazakhstan

By A.A. Kholodkov
Chairman of CC CPK

In the history of communist and workers parties it is very difficult to compare all other Communist parties as to what really transpired in Kazakhstan. The present contemporary history of the Communist Party of Kazakhstan (CPSU) showed that not only was it not ready to defend the gains of socialism, but it refused to defend itself against the onslaught of anti-Communists and rabid anti-Sovieteers. The main reason was that in positions of power there were elements, well hidden enemies who were ready to compromise, leave the field of battle and gave excuses that they were "only by chance members of the Communist Party of Kazakhstan." The dedicated Communists who were in lesser governmental posts were fired and anyone that showed any dedication was very soon replaced with more compatible elements. These dedicated Communists did not see the real death danger for the CPSU or socialism, since they truly believed in the CC CPK. It took our Communists years to understand what transpired from this very new Kazakhstan "socialism with a human face" and to understand as to what they lost when USSR was dismembered.

When Yeltsin in August of 1991 succeeded in a counterrevolution, the former leader of the Communist party of Kazakhstan immediately changed his political tune and started' speaking with a different tongue. In all of his daily speeches and interviews he said: "l am now ready to agree that we need capitalism, but with a human face. I have seen capitalism with my own eyes, but I never saw socialism with my own eyes yet." He started to use phrases of anti-communists, like "Red-Brown Shirts", "The hardheaded Kazakh communists", "USSR - this is Imperialism" and called upon all the media to: "not let communism raise its head again" etc. etc. It was this same former First Secretary of CC CPK who was made President and he headed the work of the liquidation of the Communist Party of Kazakhstan, which was established in 1920.

The new Constitution of the party was discussed in September of 1991 and there were 21 out of 28 delegates that demanded that the communist party must be saved and its name not ever be changed and not be disbanded. It looked as if the healthy forces would win this first battle. Thereupon spoke the former First Secretary of the Communist Party of Kazakhstan, N. Nazarbaev, who told the delegates: "I willingly left the Politburo of the CC CPSU and resigned as First Secretary of CC CPK." I raised in the party and demanded that the Communist Party of Kazakhstan should not leave the CPSU!

But Nazarbaev agitated that there should be a new party, that it does not matter what name it carries. Nazarbaev already had his people in place in all national, regional, city and town committees and this was unknown to most of the Central Committee of the CPK.

After this barrage of propaganda, the delegates at the Congress caved in and agreed to set up a new "Socialist Party".

This was a social-democratic oriented party, having nothing in common with Marxism-Leninism. This party did not last long since it was only a temporary tool to liquidate the original Communist Party and then to disband also this pseudo "Socialist Party".

This then gave the opportunity to the healthy forces to resurrect the glorious Communist Party of Kazakhstan. They held open-air meetings in spite of police actions and terror. Only three months after the party's liquidation, the party was alive and doing its work amongst the masses of the people. The new party had to go to the Supreme Court many times in order to fight for its legalization after the edict of outlawing the original communist party. It took us three years of court battles to register our party and to have the first ban overturned.

But even with our legal battle won, the regime started a vicious anti-Communist campaign in the country, using all well-known figures who became CPSU turncoats to carry out their vicious attacks.

The director of strategic studies, A. Bisenbaev, in his daily well-publicized articles in the Kazakh mass media called for: "Today... the main task is to stifle and choke the Communist Party of Kazakhstan and liquidate any roots of communism in the country." More and more often the regime demanded: "We must eliminate and obliterate all communists... l am afraid of this mass to come into our life…"!

We were shocked (but we should not have been) that the whole apparatus around Nazarbaev was composed of the most rabid anti-Sovieteers and anti-Communists. We had to fight and struggle daily in order to defend our party all over Kazakhstan. They forced our party to reregister all clubs, all committees... this constant disrupting method forced us to take measures that could be used much better in order to do our party work amongst the people.

One of our active members of the CC Bureau, M. Ismaelov, was jailed for over a year in this "sovereign" Kazakhstan.

We are the only party in Kazakhstan that is fighting the present regime. It is not easy for us as Communists to work under these conditions. In the last two elections we see that the people of Kazakhstan are under no illusion as to what is happening and they are supporting the Communist Party. We see a great influx of new members and a large percent of them are young people.

The day is not far off when the Kazakh people shall be building socialism together with our brothers and sisters in the other former Soviet Republics.

From
Workers-Farmers Pravda
Ukraine

Latvian Fascism

In May of this year it was 10 years from that tragic day, when the Supreme Soviet of the Latvian Republic under great pressure of the West-sponsored Latvian pro-fascist lobby, adopted the declaration to break away from the USSR. It was during May of 1990 that the Latvian neo-Nazis of the "Peoples Front of Latvia", who through demagogy and falsehoods under the cover of "communists" started on the road to fascism.

This year, 55 years after the Great Patriotic War, Latvia is the most reactionary of the three former Baltic republics, which is forcibly rewriting the history of World War 2.

The prime example of this campaign is the outright rehabilitation and compensation given to all the 200,000 veterans of the infamous fascist legion "Waffen SS" composed of these Latvian cutthroats who were the shock troops used by Hitler to fight the Red Army, the Latvian patriots and also the Allied Forces in the life and death struggle with Fascism.

Today the present Latvian regime has declared these fascists "heroes of the nation" who receive all the benefits accorded to veterans. These Latvian fascist "heroes" have constant parades in the center of Riga and these "veterans" are now forming young fascist groups, marching through the streets of Latvia as did their "godfathers" in Germany during the 1930s! They sing nazi songs and display all the trappings and racist slogans of former "Hitler Youth". Meanwhile, the Soviet war veterans during the celebrations of the Day of Victory are forced to meet underground!

Over 48% of the population of Latvia are non-Latvians and are now declared and treated as second-class citizens. Today this is outright Apartheid as was practiced in South Africa. Latvia is now divided by law into citizens and non-citizens. The Russian population in Latvia is suffering and is treated now as was the Negro population in the United States during 1920s. The policy is complete genocide against the Russian-speaking Latvians, most of whom were born in Latvia. Russians reaching pension age receive much lower pensions than those who are Latvian.

The economic situation is horrendous and this is why all of the Latvian economic structures are owned and based on the economy of USA and Britain. The daily policy of terror against communists and activists in the workers movements is unprecedented and they are forced to work underground. All former "Heroes of the Soviet Union", "Partisans" who fought against fascism are now hounded, jailed and even murdered. Although over 63% of Latvians themselves expressed that they are against Latvia being part of NATO, the reactionary forces under the protection of imperialist countries are able to govern and push through this anti-peoples membership in NATO.

The present President of Latvia, Voir Vikke Freinerg, lived all of her life in England, but was nevertheless made President of Latvia.

It is very interesting (although not unexpected) that the present Ukrainian nationalist regime of President Kuchma is the biggest supporter of this Latvian fascist-racist regime.

D. Voroshilov
19 years old student - Kiev

Catastrophe of the Ukrainian Village

A ghost is treading over all of the Ukraine. It is the ghost of hunger, unemployment and devastation. After the industrial might of Ukraine was privatized and practically devastated, as per the decisions of the International Monetary Fund, President Kuchma has now sharpened his ax on the Ukrainian village.

Today it is only a remembrance of how the collective farm and state farm villages of Ukraine used to look like, before these "reforms" came about. Year after year the Soviet Ukrainian village grew, developed in productivity, culture and good living conditions. Even with drought or frosts, the Ukrainian village farms did not take second place to any other country. The village farms had 100% heath care and medicines. It had as much produce as it needed of sugar, eggs, bread, fruits and satisfied 90% of their meat requirements.

This gives the lie to the present "democrats" that all of the collective farms were not profitable. Even in 1990 when already the winds of "reformism" were blowing over the Ukraine, only 0.2% of collective farms did not show profit or were not self-sustaining. The villages were being improved with water supplies, electricity, gas and other necessities as were the norm for cities. The ongoing construction of needed schools, hospitals, cultural clubs, building of pensioners' retirement homes and many other structures were everywhere to be seen

The "reforms" inside of these past 10 years brought the villages into a catastrophic situation which was felt by the towns and cities alike. After- Kuchma was "elected" for the second term, the price of bread jumped again by two times, even before this jump it had risen four times. Because of these inflationary prices on the products, there is hunger, death and sicknesses since the people must pay enormous rent for their dwellings, thus the food has to be scrimped upon. The costs have dramatically risen on all communal services and the production of foods is at an all time low.

The Ukraine's own governmental guidelines state that it takes 261.1 Hriven per month to subsist. Compare this to the salary of a high school teacher who makes only 130-150 Hriven per month! But what if he or she has children? This shows that an average consumer must make certain to cut his food consumption by 1/3 of milk, meat, fruits... if you compare this to 1970! For the absolute majority of Ukrainians this situation presents terrible hardships. All this is caused by the diminishing productivity of products to live on. This situation is not by chance! In 1999 Ukraine produced 2 times less wheat and meat than it did in 1990. Over 14,000,000 cows were slaughtered - 45% of pigs, 67% of sheep. Today close to 85% of all the individual farms are not profitable and cannot guarantee the needs of the people. But this is just the beginning of a catastrophe. Genocide has already started. From 1991 to 1995 in Ukraine, the village population lost over 515,000 people. In over 3000 districts of Ukraine there wasn't born even one child! There are 300 villages which have been taken off the map of Ukraine! Besides all this, over 25% of arable land is not being worked upon - that is 11 million hectares in total!

What is the cause of this catastrophe? The imposition of wild capitalism on the people has undercut the collective and state farm production and brought on the scene the rich latifundists, parasites. On the orders of the IMF the Ukraine village collective and state farms are to be liquidated. Ukraine must be the importer, not exporter of food... all from the West!

The demand of market economy is for the privatization of all lands - this is the order of the day. The privatized farms cannot buy machinery, gas, oil, parts or all the necessary services, as was the norm on the collective farms. The building of tractors in Ukraine dropped by 30% to 80%. This is done in order that Ukraine imports and buys American or Western farm surplus machinery which capitalism cannot sell in their own countries. That is why most of the land is not utilized, not farmed, not cultivated, because the "Individual farmers" cannot afford to keep up or buy the machinery that is needed.

That is why Ukraine last year lost millions of dollars in lost productivity... very beneficial to IMF to lend money and implements to Ukraine on credit.

The Ukrainian government divided all of the collective and state farms into little "pies" They issued "certificates" for these small "pies" and if the individual farmer cannot make a go of it these certificates are bought up by rich latifundists, most of them from the West and they rent or sell these "pies". of land. Thus, all the Ukrainian former collective and state farmers are now being forced to be servants on the lands bought up by the rich latifundists. Kuchma is bent on carrying out this land reform, since land is a product to be bought and sold!

These Kuchma "reforms" are bringing the country not forward but backward to the land owners and the Ukrainian farmers are be serfs which can be hired and fired or starve!

Kuchma's right-hand man P. Gayducko made this statement: "The village farmers do not need machinery, their two hands should be sufficient, not modern technology!"

The present Ukrainian bourgeois government does not see (or does nor want to see for obvious reasons) that the farmers in the US, Germany, France or England are being supported by their governments and also subsidized close to 40%.

By liquidating all of the collective and state farms, Kuchma is bent on getting rid of the last remnants of socialism. The future of the farms and villages and even cities in Ukraine is not very bright.

We condensed this well-written article due to space limitations.

Steps Towards Unity!

Oleg Shenin, Leader of the Union of Communist Parties-CPSU

On July 15th in Moscow there took place a founding conference, initiated by the Union of Communist Parties-CPSU. In the main-Conference report Oleg Shenin gave an analysis of the present communist movement, its future and also the tasks of the new party. In part, Oleg Shenin dwelt in detail on the important work of J.V. Stalin and called upon everyone to give a rebuff to the anti-Stalinists. "It was Stalin, as no one else after Lenin, who was able to defeat internal and external international capital. He had the willpower and such great proletarian steadfastness that all the enemies of socialism and of the development of the world's people cannot forgive him even now. The collective understanding of the majority of communist parties in the world gives credit, that after the death of Stalin, Khrushchev sold all these values out and started the process of debasing Marxism-Leninism both internally and all over the world, which brought about the disintegration of the Soviet Union, the temporary collapse of socialism and also the weakening of the world communist movement."

Characterizing the social basis of the party, Oleg Shenin took a stand against those leaders that state that the "impoverishment of the masses will in itself bring on a socialist revolution". Hunger defeats all political activism, said Shenin. The working man becomes a fighter when he sees his actions producing results, and this fighting spirit is developed if a person is working. The vanguard of the struggle for socialism cannot become only the "elder proletariat" working in physical work, but it must also go hand in hand with those whom we call the intelligencia."

"Proletariat of mental work" (Marx), "Engineering proletariat" (Lenin). Both of these important detachments are today's contemporary working class.

The Conference elected the leading organs and adopted a Constitution.

Activity of Movement of Citizens of USSR

In defense of sovereign rights of Soviet people

Even though our numbers are small, we, the citizens of USSR who are informed and dedicated have done much to inform and agitate the Soviet people of what must be done in order to rise onto the political stage.

We base ourselves on the 62nd article of the Constitution of USSR, adopted in 1977, which urges all of its citizens to defend the Soviet state, regardless of any given situation. Well, we are doing this constantly - whatever is possible to do against the present occupied USSR.

Now it is exactly five years since the dedicated Soviet people gathered on the October Square in Moscow to demand the unification of Soviet people who were forcibly divided. But who was it that proclaimed this unity? It was done by the citizens of USSR, who are the real representatives of the Soviet State, even though we are now in a very catastrophic situation.

In October of 1995 there took place the first Conference of Citizens of the USSR, which adopted a significant document, having a historical meaning: Declaration of the rights of Soviet citizens to unite and again have a sovereign country.

This document declares that the Soviet people are here, that the USSR Constitution is legal since there was no plebiscite held in which the people voted to abolish the Soviet Constitution. The process arrived at the Belovezh Agreement (by the three traitors - the heads of Russia, Byelorussia and Ukraine - Editor) is illegal under international and also Soviet law.

In December of 1997 the Plenum of our Congress sent letters of protest to all the Soviet republics as well as to the United Nations Organization in New York where the question of the genocide of Soviet people and the role of USA and NATO in this was fully documented.

The Council of Citizens of the USSR plus the Bolshevik Platform of CPSU was one of the first peoples movement that was organized on the territory of the USSR. Unfortunately the present situation is not in our favour. We must understand and work as Citizens of the USSR. This may be our last resource, and if we do not utilize this opportunity, our future generations will say: it is those same people, who in mass sold out their country. This could be the final act of the present "revolutionary" ride and we must all be aware of this danger.

From the Newspaper
"Insurmountable Stalingrad"
published in Rostov on the Don on the 55th Anniversary of the Second World.

Stalingrad! The name of this city on the Volga was on the lips of all Soviet people as one of the greatest battles of the Great Patriotic War, not only for us Soviets, but also for the whole world! Mankind listened with trepidation to the reports about this titanic struggle, while Japan and Turkey at that time were ready to rush in their armies to help Hitler in case of Hitler's victory.

Stalingrad became the symbol of determination, heroism, dedication not only on the part of the Red Army men and its commanders, but of the whole Soviet people. During this gigantic battle Germany lost its 4th Army, Italian and Rumanian tank brigades. The Red Army captured 96,000 enemy soldiers and officers, plus generals and Field Marshal Paulus. The enemy lost well over 1,500,000 soldiers.

Stalingrad became the glory symbol all the world, with scores of cities being renamed Stalingrad as well as streets and avenues.

At the Battle of Stalingrad, on the Mamayev Hill we lost 479,000 Red Army men and officers in this horrific struggle.

The steps taken by the revisionists to rename the city Volgograd is an affront to all of our comrades who perished defending us and the entire world. It wasn't to Volgograd but to the City of Stalingrad that President Roosevelt sent the Honor Scroll, stating that the Stalingrad City and the Stalingrad Battle was an epic battle and the turning point of the Second World War. Even the King of England wrote: "To the citizens of Stalingrad as a sign of deep appreciation by the British people!"

We appeal to all officers and men, to all people to demand the return of the name of Stalingrad to this Hero City!

The citizens of the city, veterans, all public organizations, progressive peoples movements appealed and demanded from the Volgograd City Council on which there is a large communist majority from the Communist Party of the Russian Federation (CPRF) but the city council refused to even acknowledge that they received these protests!

N. Garifulinna
From Newspaper
"Galitsky Communist"
Interviewed Oleg Shenin, Chairman of the UCP-CPSU

Q: Neither during the presidential election, nor even during the parliamentary elections was there a real possibility to form a strong coalition of the left and patriotic forces. What is the main reason?

A: The main reason was the singular efforts of the CPRF leadership, not wanting to bring closer to itself those left parties who have fewer members, but are carrying out much more of Marxist-Leninist program in their work. The CPRF does not want to find ways and opportunities to gather around itself those who are now in political reality closer to the CPRF, which continue to call itself "communist".

During the March 26th elections, Zyuganov received 22 million votes, while in 1996 the CPRF received over 30 million votes!

We must analyze this drop in votes correctly as to why it was that the CPRF lost influence and so many votes. Even in 1996 when Zyuganov was a candidate of the patriotic forces, he lost the election. It was necessary even then to think about what candidate to put up in the year 2000 and to prepare this candidate.

But the CPRF forces and their behind the scenes friends stated that there is only one candidate in Russia and one leader. More than that, all other potential candidates were kicked out or expelled from the CPRF and this mixed up the whole process of a unified opposition to the present regime. No sooner a left candidate comes on the scene that can unite all left forces, than the leadership of the CPRF starts the attack against him or them. Thus they cut down all potential candidates.

These CPRF elements always state that if there shall be honest elections, if there shall not be falsification by the present regime, all of this is utopia promoted by the present bourgeois regime. Besides, this new constitution was wholeheartedly supported by the CPRF in the Duma, and thus it was passed. And in this atmosphere, when the criminal enemies are in the governing bourgeois state, do they really expect a nice "clean and civilized election" to take place? There are no such and there shall not be one either in the future!

If the party is going to take part in elections and try in this way to influence the present regime, this party must not lose sight of all of its Marxist-Leninist principles and not propose some "New Marxism" or some "New Leninism". A party of this sort has long ceased to be a communist party, because it is riddled throughout by opportunism, revisionism and other ills.

Q: Why is it that in some parties now there is a tendency to have a double standard for ordinary Communist members and for the party leadership? While the membership must be disciplined and carry the party line, the leaders do whatever they want.

A: There is criticism in the party organizations as usual. But, regarding the CC of CPRF, this is the fraction that is in the Russian Duma and it seems that there is no criticism allowed of this Central Committee members at all. How can the leadership of the CPRF work amongst the masses when all their leaders spend most of their time sitting in the Duma? I cannot understand as to what communist work these members can do locally in their electoral districts when they all sit in Moscow?

Q: The sickness of sovereignty (bordering on nationalism-Editor) has taken hold of the society, including even some communist parties and their leadership. How can we explain this cancerous growth of many communist parties and movements?

A: These words sound wild, but unfortunately it is a contemporary reality and there are subjective reasons for this. This is explained in part by the world attitude of their leaders and their attempts to revise Marxism-Leninism in order to fit their new outlook.

But, if we speak about what must be done to eliminate this cancerous growth, I am certain that we must now immediately unite into one united communist party. The basis for this unity exists now. There are leaders of many communist parties, there are many communist members who call for a unified Communist Party.

We already have started this process. But it is not a very easy road ahead for this elusive unity. If we are real Communists and want the party to be alive, to have authority, to have dedication and that the teachings of Marxism-Leninism be our guiding light, not only in constant discussions, but brought into reality... we must organize and form such a united party now! If we do not do so soon, then the Communist movement in Russia and in the USSR shall be set back scores of years.

There are more and more people who fully understand this necessity… the question is not of having quantity but QUALITY! We must point out that the road we are setting upon shall not be open to all those who want to join! When the CPRF formed its fraction in the Russian Duma immediately there enlisted themselves in it all of the party functionaries of the former CPSU. Now the Duma CPRF fraction is composed entirely of these former party functionaries. But where were all of these former leaders of the CPSU when the party was made illegal? These people are never again going to be accepted into the future unified CPSU!

Click here to return to October 2000 index.