MD News. 24 April 2001. Moldova's Communist Leadership Believes in Perspectives of Communism. The Moldova's ruling Communist Party (MCP) held its IV (XXI) ordinary congress past Saturday and Sunday which was attended by over 400 delegates and about 800 guests. The forum re-elected Moldovan President Vladimir Voronin as MCP Chairman, and parliamentary MCP faction leader Victor Stepaniuk as Secretary of the MCP Political Executive Committee. The congress was attended by communist party delegations from the Russian Federation, Ukraine, Azerbaijan, Armenia, Georgia, Belarus, Cuba, Slovakia, Greece, Portugal, Cyprus, Yugoslavia, Vietnam, China, Romania, Spain, North Korea, and Turkey, as well as from Transnistria. To the standing ovation by delegates and guests, party leader Vladimir Voronin appeared at the podium against the background of a gigantic portrait of Lenin, and made a 1.5 hour report in which he spoke, in particular, about "the deadlock of capitalism" and "revival of socialism". "The capitalist way of development is a way to a deadlock", he stated, and referred, as an argument, to the aggravating standoff between a dozen and a half developed nations and dozens of poor countries. "These contradictions have become particularly sharp after the demise of the former Soviet Union", he said. He believes the only reasonable alternative to such a standoff is the socialist way of development, "whose temporary defeat only proves this truth". Broken ties with the East, in particular with the Russian Federation, is viewed by Vladimir Voronin as the chief reason of the economic and social hardships being suffered by the Moldovan people. The party leader indicated the historic heritage left to the Communist Party by "democratic reformers": a fall in GDP by 3-fold, a complete de-industrialization of the national economy, a $1.5 billion external debt, three-quarters of the population living below the subsistence level, hundreds of thousand Moldovans earning their living abroad. "The Right forces deliberately ruined Moldova's traditional ties with Russia and the CIS, thus turning the vector of the country's external policy", said the MCP leader. "The shadowy economy has drawn under its roof over a half of the GDP size". "Over last 10 years, [pro-Romania] unionist forces -- which have never regarded Moldova as a sovereign state but only as a province of the neighbor country -- have been acting driven by 'the worse - the better' principle. He emphasized that the MCP's crucial achievement since its III Congress was "the democratic overthrow of the anti-popular power regime". "History has ruled so that Moldova has become the first of all European states where Communists are back at power. The MCP's historic mission is to prove to the world: the Communist idea, the Communist movement have most favorable historic perspectives", he said. Among MCP's drawbacks the leader mentioned a poor work with the youth and insufficiently active party construction. Currently the MCP has 840 basic party organizations functioning across the country, whereas the objective was to have organizations in each of Moldova's 1.5 thousand cities, towns and villages. "So, this question remains on the agenda. It is necessary to further struggle for people's minds", he said. During the whole congress, the word 'privatization' was only once mentioned in a positive sense -- when the auditing commission reported that a portion of the party budget was used for privatizing the MCP office and newspaper. Voronin said the party's main objectives are rehabilitation of economy, improving the population's life, society consolidation, reforming of the country management, Transnistrian conflict solution, pragmatic foreign policy. He confirmed the Communists recognize the equality of all property forms. For the first indulgences to be done by the Communist Party will be the income tax lowering, and raising of pensions and salaries proportionally to the minimal consumer basket cost. Presently, the average wage is Moldova constitutes only 30 percent of the subsistence level sum. Among social priorities the Communists indicate the need to make secondary and higher education as well as health care free of charge. "It is essential to return people's trust in power. We must be wise managers and must not be thieves. This must apply to everyone -- from the President to the last village mayor". These words caused delegates' prolonged, loud applauses. The Communists are not ruling out that at the first stage of work in all state power structures they will have "to restore order through the dictatorship of law... The Communist Party is supposed to bring to a logical end the parliamentary system building in Moldova as the most suitable model of a democratic society". "Synonymously confirming all the Moldova's international accords and commitments in relations with other countries, we at the same time must place more emphasis on pragmatism in our foreign policy", said the MCP leader. He named Russia as Moldova's chief strategic partner, but underlined that "currently, the experience of the ruling communist parties in China, North Korea, Cuba and Vietnam is particularly interesting and useful to us". Voronin stated the Communists must struggle for the minds of the youth and workers, and to increase the MCP's propaganda work. Heretofore, the MCP's main electorate have been the older generation and Russian-speaking citizens who are attracted by the party's pro-Russia orientation. The Communists are projecting to establish a Central Party School, to found their own news agency, and restore the Young Pioneers organization. Gennady Ziuganov, Russian Communist Party leader, was welcomed by the congress with a standing, stormy ovation. He wished to his Moldovan comrades to join the efforts of the Parliament, President and Government "into one strong fist for re-uniting the ruined Fatherland". Ziuganov believes the ongoing globalization process is sought to be realized in the interests of only one nation -- the United States. "All financial, informational, energy flows are in the hands of America. Many countries are trying to live by IMF prescriptions, but fail to, because strong countries suck all juices out of weak countries' economies", said Ziuganov. He promised to delegate to Chisinau young Russian economics scientist Sergei Glaziev to help the new Moldovan Government to work out an economic program. Ziuganov said Moldovan wines are distinguished for their high quality. "When I was running for presidency, 30 million Russian citizens voted for me. If I ask each of them to buy at least a bottle of Moldovan wine, this will solve your wine exports problem". - A Cuban Communist Party representative stated from the podium the United States has failed to break down the Cuban people's adherence to Communist ideals. "Our people do not doubt the correctness of the path we chose on January 1, 1959. History has placed the Cuban Communists into the first ranks of struggle against the world imperialism which the Cubans must win", he emphasized. - Transnistrian Communist Party leader Vladimir Gavrilchenko expressed hope that, under the MCP rule, residents on both Dniester river banks will come to live in a re-unified country and, with time, in a socialist state. "We regard your victory as a natural process of people's awakening in the former USSR area. The people of Moldova have been ahead of all republics", he said. Gavrilchenko presumes that without restoration of the Soviet Union, communist victories in separate republics will not be complete or final. "We, the Communists, must take control of the situation in our two republics [Moldova and Transnistria]. We welcome the actions of our two leaders aimed at phased settlement of the Transnistrian question", he said. In his opinion, Moldova's accession to the Russia-Belarus Union must become a step-by-step joining the USSR. "The membership in this Union will mean a return of our countries onto the socialist way of development", said the Transnistrian communist party leader. A gala concert of revolutionary songs was staged for congress delegates and guests, during which the whole audience, including Vladimir Voronin, Gennady Ziuganov and their Ukrainian colleague Peter Simonenko, were standing and singing loudly "... And Lenin is still so young, and the October [revolution] is yet to come" -- a song that was very popular with the USSR party leadership in 1970s and 1980s. The forum also voted for changing the party leader's official denomination. Since now on, this shall be not First Secretary of the MCP Central Committee, but Party Chairman. A new post has also been introduced into the MCP structure -- Secretary of the MCP Political Executive Committee. This will be Victor Stepaniuk, Chairman of the parliamentary MCP faction. He will be in charge of party's current matters as the party leader, Vladimir Voronin, will be busy tackling state problems as President. Before the forum closure, the delegates adopted congress' final documents, including an Address to the Nation and a resolution entitled "Republic, Popular Rule, Socialism" which stressed the desperate condition of the Moldovan economy and indicated priorities in realizing the MCP electoral program and overcoming the socio-economic crisis. The forum was closed with the sounds of "The International" which was chanted by all the standing delegates and numerous guests. Observers pointed out that no state symbols of Moldova could be seen anywhere inside or outside the Opera House building where the congress was held, and it was only at the forum opening that the Moldova's state anthem was played. The theater's stage was decorated with a big portrait of Lenin and the red Soviet flag. ...........................