Our Opinion Regarding the Mass Protests Against Monetary Social Benefits

Nina A. Andreeva

During the second half of January of this year, there took place mass protests all over Russia against all the cutbacks of social services that were enjoyed by the people, especially the elderly and the old age pensioners.

The present Russian bourgeois government decided to cut all of the support for these social service benefits and thus set in motion the hatred of the people into wide protests. In one stroke of Putin’s pen, he has thrown out all the pensioners into an unbearable economic situation and hardships. For now, these protests carried only economic demands, but the need is for ongoing political protests.

These mass protests have forced the government to make some concessions – by reinstating free transportation for the pensioners. But the other social benefits, like medicines, communal rent, telephone and electricity and other former Soviet social benefits, were sidelined and not acted upon as demanded by these Russia-wide protests.

Of course this present Russian bourgeois government will not stop on this. They have plans to completely liquidate any and all vestiges of Socialist social services that were won by the October Socialist Revolution, in order to completely privatize them.

The future holds for us terrible anti-peoples decisions by the present Putin Government, using even harsher methods then up to now. These new draconian laws will not only affect the elderly pensioners, but will affect the whole working class of Russia, as a result of the counterrevolution.

It is imperative that the working class of Russia and all people should awake from their political slumber and actively start becoming involved in the ongoing struggle against this counterrevolution, in a struggle for the rebirth of the mighty multinational Socialist Motherland.

Central Committee
All Union Communist Party of Bolsheviks
January 25, 2005 - Leningrad

Believe It Or Not!

An article in a bourgeois newspaper in Canada, The Globe & Mail, there was published a news item by Reuters on January 14, 2005, that Moscow plans to erect a new monument to Stalin, returning his presence after close to 40 years when all monuments to Stalin were demolished.

With the upcoming 60^th Anniversary of the end of the Great Patriotic War, obviously president Putin is feeling the growing anger of the people and made this decision in order to placate the growing resentment against this degradation of J.V. Stalin.

The official statement on behalf of President Putin to the Moscow Ekho ratio station by Oleg Tolkachev, Senator from Moscow stated: "A monument will be erected to those who took part in leading the war against Hitler, including Stalin".

So, Stalin’s part in the defeat of Fascism is presented as an after thought!

No matter how the present regime tries to obliterate the role of Stalin, the people are demanding the truth and there are more and more films shown now portraying Stalin in a truthful manner!

PETROZAVODSK- Russia’s Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov described as a provocation, Finland’s claim to territories from the former Soviet Union. The Minister commented last month on the so-called "Opinion Polls" conducted by the Finnish nationalistic organizations, pushing for the return of the Karelian Isthmus and some other border areas in the Republic of Karelia.

"Instigators of such surveys are provocateurs, aiming to provoke the re-animation of territorial claims, and of attempts to rewrite history. This is a very dangerous tendency indeed."

Seized by Sweden in the 12th-14th centuries, Finland’s territory was annexed to Russia after the Russo-Swedish war in 1809. From then on, this Finnish principality existed within Russia as an autonomy. On December 31, 1917, the government of Soviet Union recognized Finland’s state sovereignty. As history showed, Finland attacked the USSR even before Hitler did. Finland also took the Nazi Germany’s side in WWII and attacked Soviet Union together with the German forces.

From Russia Reform Monitor – 1234

A December 2004 poll taken by the Levada Center said that support for Putin dropped from 84 % to 64% in the last year. Most people said that Russia was heading into "a blind alley" while only 13% expressed the opposite view.

Russia’s Afghan Drug Problems

This was published in the Moscow Pravda newspaper, Jan. 13, 2005.

Solidarity with Communists in Latvia

In the so-called "democratic Latvia" the government has banned the activity of the Communist Party of Latvia. The work and publications by the Communists were equated with that of Nazi ideology and also pronounced as a crime. This was used to persecute the members of the Communist Party.

As a result of this, the people who stayed as members of the forbidden Communist Party of Latvia after January 31, 1991, for more than fourteen years have no right to take part in any elections. They have also no right to vote or to be elected.

The meeting of international representatives of the Communist Parties that met last year in Athens, Greece, issued a statement condemning this policy and it was sent to the European Union and the European Parliament, asking them to take any possible action to condemn this injustice.

This document was signed by 44 Communist Parties.

Japan Makes Territorial Claims on Russia, China & South Korea

The ruling Liberal Democratic Party of Japan has accused Russia and South Korea of illegal occupation of native Japanese territories – like the Southern Kuriles, Takesjima/Tokto islands, and China of illegitimate claims for the Senkaku/Diaoyutai islands.

This was the message of the "Course of Action" adopted last month at their congress, devoted to the 50^th anniversary of the founding of their LDP party. This confirms that Japan has territorial claims on its Far Eastern neighbors.

A part of this plan is to hold in March a conference in the north of the Hokkaido Island, in the city of Nemuro, from where the Southern Kuriles are well observable and shouting slogans against Russia.

But on the diplomatic front, Japan has been avoiding talking about their demands. The objective is to get Japan’s sovereignty over all the Kurile Islands.

10,000 March against Yushchenko and Timoshenko

DONETSK- Over 10,000 people organized a protest action in Donetsk, Ukraine last month, in support of Viktor Yanukovich. This protest action had been initiated by the organizations of the Party of the Regions and the Progressive Socialist Party of Ukraine. Representatives of the Russian community also joined this protest in large numbers. Even members of the Green Party joined the protest, when earlier they refused to support Yanukovich.

The participants protested the rigged results of the third round elections under the auspices of the Central Election Commission. Every region of Eastern Ukraine brought thousands of signatures in support of Yanukovich and Ukraine’s federative system.

How Deeply Did the Corruption in Ukraine Go?

Between the first and second round of voting in Ukraine, Lytvyn, the speaker of the Ukrainian parliament and former chief of President Kuchma’s executive, made a swift and a very low profile trip to Washington, where he met with Colin Powell, Condoleezza Rice, Senators Richard Lugar and John McCain and representative Henry Hydes.

The Americans knew that Lytvyn would be able to help Yushchenko win some key support in the Rada. Lytvyn, after his return from Washington, permitted the Rada to hold an illegal no confidence vote against the presidential candidate and then the Prime Minister Yanukovich’s government. This proved to be a crucial development that was soon followed (under pressure from afar – Editor) by the Ukrainian Supreme Court’s ruling that the run-off was invalid.

It would be an act of unprecedented gullibility to believe that this secret meeting in Washington between the highest- ranking US foreign policy figures and Lytvyn of Ukraine was just a casual, friendly chat. Such meetings are rare and consequential. In this case, with the fate of Ukraine in the balance, no doubt a plan was discussed and adopted to further the success of this Ukrainian coup. Let there be no doubt that Lytvyn expects something in return for his efforts.

In my interview for the New York Review, Lytvyn wanted me to know that he is now working with the West!

Kyrgyzia and Kazakhstan Protest against Western Clandestine Operations

Kyrgyz President Askar Akayev charged that: "Western powers foment public and political movements inside the country in order organize "velvet revolutions". These public movements which have emerged in this country are preparing such revolutions on the orders of the Clandestine International. Even now, before our elections in 2006 these organizations are saying that they will be "falsified. They are already planning civil disobedience and rallies."

The inter-district economic court of Almaty of Kazakhstan authorized the liquidation of the Democratic Choice of Kazakhstan opposition party. This was done because of the political statement that was adopted by this Western set-up party last December 11, 2004. as a copy of the "velvet revolution" movements. This statement called for "resolute public actions, including civil disobedience campaigns, and that the present authorities are illegitimate." This Western oriented party is chaired by Galymzhan Zhakiyanov, who in 2002 was sentenced to seven years in custody for abuse of office and head of the Pavlodar administration.

Troubling Economic Indicators Emerge

According to Russia’s Central Bank, illegal flight on money overseas more than tripled in 2004 over 2003, wile the money that left the country illegally via shadowy business transactions jumped by over 50%. The Associated Press reported that the Central Bank estimates that the money going abroad jumped from $15.4 billion to $23.5 billion

From newspaper
DOCKER, Leningrad

All Russian Ports Were Closed by Unified Strike Actions!

Last December 14, 2004, all ports on the territory of Russia were closed by a strike action of the Russian Dockers. The complete shutdown of any traffic, or loading and unloading of goods was complete. Slogans, placards and meetings proclaimed the following in all of the ports that were closed: "Russian Cargo through Russian Ports!" The strike was called by the Russian Union of Dockers.

There was complete unity of the Dockers and also great support from the population. The Dockers Union made representation to the government and to the ports and collective bargaining is now a fact.

• About one quarter of the population of Ukraine live below the poverty line of about $33 per month. In the poorest areas near the Carpathian Mountains, the poverty encompasses over 50% of the population.

• Ukraine is among the 65 poorest countries in the world.

• Labor migration is one of the reasons for empty houses around Ukraine, According to statistics, over 5,000,000 people - one tenth of Ukraine’s total population - are working abroad. But in Western Ukraine, it is estimated that at least one member of each family is working either in Portugal, Italy, Czech Republic or Russia.

As one professor said: "This society now needs a mental revolution in order to change the situation as we had it before the break-up of the Soviet Union".

Most Russian Are Sorry That USSR Is Gone

MOSCOW- Pollsters stated that over 67% of Russia’s population regret the collapse of the Soviet Union and that 58% of the people feel that relations between Russia and other former Soviet Republics is normal, friendly and neighborly.

The Yury Levada Analytical Center said that less than 26% of Russians are glad that the USSR has fallen apart.

Russia’s Communists Mount Campaign to Oust Government

Russian Communist Party mounted a campaign to oust the government in a direct challenge to President Putin, following weeks of nationwide protests by drastic cuts in the social welfare benefits.

The Russian State Duma’s lower house left-wing caucus said that they would collect 90 signatures of members of parliament as is required in the 450-seat chamber, to hold a confidence vote on the year-long government of Prime Minister Mikhail Fradkov.

The demonstrators, despite the bitter cold weather demonstrated all across Russia and closed many streets with their demonstrations. There is speculation that these spontaneous protests – the first since the tumultuous days of Yeltsin in the 1990’s - may force the humiliated president to fire either his government or the top ministers over the affair.

If successful, the Communists in the Duma will have to have the support from remaining liberals, who also oppose those drastic measures.

Even the pro-government newspaper "Izvestia" wrote that the frightened Fradkov told his cabinet before the meeting with Putin: "So, what are we going to tell the president?" Izvestia reported that there was "a grave silence fell" on the meeting after Fradkov’s question.

The Russian State Duma has given first reading to an "Anti Terrorism Bill" which states the following: "this bill gives the Russian government the right to impose a 60-day state of emergency in any part of the country. It also authorizes the government to ban meetings and demonstrations, tap telephones, conduct spot checks on all the streets and restrict the movement of people and traffic even if there is no emergency.

Deputy Finance Minister Sergei Shatalov had put a $157 million law suit for non payment of taxes against the VimpelCom – Russia’s second-largest mobile telephone corporation. But the Information Technology Minister Leonid Reiman said that the amount is exaggerated. But the VimpelCom’s biggest shareholder is non other than Leonid Fridman, head of the Alpha Group.

Right from the Horse’s Mouth!

"Were the Soviet Union to sink tomorrow under the waters of the Atlantic and Pacific oceans, our mighty American military-industrial establishment would have to go on, substantially unchanged, until some other enemy or adversary could be invented. Anything else would be an unacceptable shock to the American economy."

Thousands of Russian pensioners staged massive protests across the country last month against the abolition of generous Soviet Socialist era social benefits. Although the protests were peaceful, analysts said that this was the most serious demonstration since 1998, when the Russian coal miners blocked all railway tracks in protest against unpaid wages.

For three days the protestors demonstrated, and these demonstrations had stretched from Russia’s Far East to Moscow itself, and at times brought to a standstill the transport arteries.

They protested the law that was brought into effect last January 1, 2005, 14 years after the collapse of the Soviet Union. The adopted legislation by the Russian Duma replaced the existing Socialist-style social benefits with small monthly cash payments.

People before enjoyed free public transport and medicine and heavily subsidized living accommodations, plus many other services - have now realized how good the old days were. This new regulation is supposedly to save the Putin government billions of rubles - but this affects over 34,000,000 Russians – just over a quarter of the total population. These pensioners have watched in horror as their decades-old Socialist government help has been swept away at a stroke.

The Russian TV had shown pictures of elderly men and women physically squaring off against Putin’s police. This certainly showed the onlookers as to who is who.

Many demonstrators brandished banners criticizing President Putin and demanding full restoration of their rights. In interviews with the news media, this comment expressed the anger of the demonstrators: "Somebody in the government just thinks that he hasn’t enough money to buy a villa in the Canary Islands, so they decided to buy it anyway at the expense of the pensioners. These people never have enough!"

The Russian parliament (the Duma) is controlled by Mr. Putin’s "United Russia Party" – did not approve the motion by the Communists and the Motherland Party to review this drastic legislature.

In a poll conducted right after the demonstrations by the Ekho Moskvy Radio station, over 97% of the people blamed Putin for this crisis.

Passengers, all war veterans of this historic battle, came from Moscow on a train named "Train of Memory" - all 500 of them, the remaining veterans who fought this mammoth battle that turned the tide of World War II.

Volgograd residents welcomed these war veterans to sounds of music, performed by a military band. The veterans were overjoyed and in tears at this welcome. Sixty-two years have passed since this tremendous battle and the defeat of the Nazis on the Volga.

These veterans of the Battle on the Volga will visit the Mamayev Kurgan Memorial and lay wreaths and flowers at the graves of soldiers that were killed in the battle.