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.



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