#11 - JRL 7065
Stringer
February 13, 2003
COMMUNISTS BRAWL OVER THE CASH REGISTER
Zyuganov will have to cross swords with Glazyev
Author: not indicated
[from WPS Monitoring Agency, www.wps.ru/e_index.html]
THE KREMLIN HAS MADE A WRONG CHOICE AGAIN - GENNADY SEMIGIN HAS FAILED TO WEAKEN AND SPLIT THE COMMUNIST PARTY. ALL HIS ATTEMPTS TO CREATE A NEWSPAPER OF HIS OWN ALSO FAILED. APPARENTLY, VOTERS WILL AGAIN FOLLOW GENNADY ZYUGANOV, AS USUAL.
Every time elections approach, the communists start brawling within their party. The party has decided not to conceal its scandals from the public. However, as usual, not the whole truth is revealed. Despite the split with Gennady Seleznev and his supporters, 30% of Russian voters are still ready to vote for the Communist Party. At the same time, party leaders are trying to morally destroy each another - this time not for the sake of ideology or a place in history, as before, but for money. The time, the Communist Party is brawling over the cash register where entrance tickets are sold. As the Communist Party election list is the only real election list in Russia, even people who have never been with the communists want to get on this list. Crowds of people, including tycoons, are ready to pay for places on the list for their people. Later, they will be able to lobby for laws concerning natural monopolies and other tycoons' interests.
The shrapnel from the party brawl is hurting other people. Two major communist party bodies represented by Soviet old-timers Prokhanov and Chikin are filled with heated party debates. Several years ago, a representative of the presidential administration Gennady Semigin bought from Gennady Zyuganov the People-Patriotic Union. The People-Patriotic Union is a "broad basis for oppressed labor people": a mixed crowd of "red" directors, remaining socialists, "patriotic Muslims", marginal and virtual movements. The plausible story which allowed Gennady Semigin to enter the People-Patriotic Union was invented by several generals of the Federal Security Service. It says Semigin, while being a Soviet Army captain, managed to receive oil licenses and make money. He decided to spend it on social fairness in Russia. It is a rather complicated story and magazines published it a couple of time, which did not make it better.
What Communist leader Gennady Zyuganov keeps silent about seems to be much more plausible: oppositional Communist Party sold to Semigin its People-Patriotic Union structure and the seat of the Duma deputy Speaker, without asking where his money is from.
In fact, his money is from the official authorities of the country. The authorities have been interested in weakening and splitting the Communist Party. However, Zyuganov was convinced that he would be able to remove Semigin when necessary. Semigin has failed to split the party ranks - but he has managed to split the party leadership. Now, Kuptsov together with Krasnoyarsk and Leningrad regions are supporting Semigin and Glazyev; while Zuiganov with Moscow communists are supporting a union with a new sponsor, Boris Berezovsky. However, it is still not the whole truth. The truth is that the Communist Party is like a marriageable girl - different tycoons are again offering it money, with their own treasurers. Usually money stinks. Moreover, it never gets to local party organizations. Now, the situation has left the Duma and has become a public discussion on the purity of ranks and on communists' honesty. Zyuganov, Prokhanov, and Chikin have switched to the full their propaganda machine. They are accusing Semigin as a "splitter". The presidential administration does not have its own party periodicals. Semigin has failed to buy all party periodicals that all communists and patriots read. That is why he is unable to respond to his opponents with dignity from an official newspaper. The Kremlin has again made a wrong choice - the personnel crisis has left it down once again. All Semigin's attempts to create a newspaper of his own failed. Apparently, as usual the electorate will again follow Zyuganov. Large tycoons' means have been wasted on Semigin. Over three years of his being the Duma deputy speaker, people have not remembered his name. They still mix him up with Semago and semaphore.
However, now there is Glazyev, a find from the last season. Zyuganov will have to cross swords with him.
(Translated by Arina Yevtikhova)
Next Article