WORLD

The 27th Congress of the Communist
Party of the Soviet Union set itself two
interrelated tasks: the fight for peace and
the fight for accelerated economic
development. I say interrelated because
each one for its success depends on the
other. If peace is maintained and there is
no nuclear war, acceleration of economic
developments will proceed; and the fas-
ter it proceeds, the stronger the USSR
will become and socialism will become
and the less likely will U.S. imperialism
dare to use nuclear weapons. So each isa
part of the other.

In terms of internal economic
development, the Congress placed prim-
ary emphasis on the need to overcome

ty’s development is inconceivable and
impossible without the further develop-
ment of all aspects and manifestations of
socialist democracy. ‘‘Bearing this in
mind,”’ he says, The Party is taking mea-
sures aimed at deepening the democratic
character of the socialist system, among
them are steps to invigorate the Soviets,
the trade unions, the Young Communist
League, the work collectives and the
people’s control bodies, and to promote
publicity.

‘“‘The Party,’’ he said. ‘‘will see to it
that the deputies are selected from
among the worthiest who are capable of
effectively running state affairs, and that

the Soviet’s membership should be sys-.

Glasnost and democratization are directed to
change the situation, painful as it might be, and
break down resistance to necessary changes.

inertia, stagnation, routinism and all obs-
tacles standing the way of rapid growth,
and to catch up with the process of the
scientific-technological revolution and
not allow state-monopoly capitalism to
be superior to socialism on that decisive
front. That in turn was the precondition
to achieve what the 27th congress agreed
to set for itself, the task of almost doubl-
ing the production potential of the USSR
by the year 2000. That’s a fantastic
figure.

But to succeed calls now for the
further extension of socialist democracy
in order to mobilize the Soviet peoples
for an effort on a scale they have never
yet undertaken ...

Sharp Turn-around

It is in this setting that the 27th con-
gress called for a sharp turn-around, for
renovation and revolutionary readjust-
ment in all areas of social life. What it
also called for was ‘‘glasnost’’, open-
ness: bringing everything into the open,
hiding nothing, no matter how painful, so
as to stimulate that extraordinary effort
on the part of the Soviet people for the
tasks they are confronted with and to
overcome obstacles which stand in the
way. *

These words, glasnost and the exten-
sion of democracy have now become the
most active words in the Soviet Union
today. That is: not only to hide nothing,
no matter how painfal the shortcomings
may be and place responsibility where it
belongs, but also to extend socialist
democracy all down the line.

In his 27th congress report, Gor-
bachev says for example: ‘*When we say
that socialism’s mighty potential is not
being used to the full in our country,” he
also means that the acceleration of socie-

8 e PACIFIC TRIBUNE, APRIL 22, 1987

tematically renewed. It is high time that
necessary corrections are made in our
election procedures ...”

In dealing with trade unions, he noted
that the trade union committees are in
many cases lacking militancy and resolve
in defending working people’s legitimate
interests ...

Gorbachev noted: ‘‘The whole range
of the Soviet citizens’s socio-political
and personal rights and freedoms could
promote the broadening and further
development of Soviet socialist democ-
racy. It is essential to stimulate the ac-
tivities of our citizens, of one and all, in
constructive work in eliminating short-
comings, abuses and all other unhealthy
phenomenon, all departures from our
legal and moral standards. Democracy
was and remains a major lever of
strengthening socialist legality, and sta-
ble legality was and remains an insepara-
ble part of our democracy ...

Attitudes to Change

We should note that what is taking
place in the Soviet Union are revolution-
ary changes and that a deep process of
reconstruction in all fields is taking
shape. Together with this, you will find
interesting articles in Moscow News,
one in which a professor Butenko says:
“There are three social forces in the
USSR which adopt a different attitude to
the 27th congress: 1. those going all-out
to implement the decisions of the con-
gress; 2. those who do not know how to
implement those decisions; 3. those who
have not yet grasped the essence of those
changes, who have adopted a wait-and-
see attitude, or do not believe in the suc-
cess of the economic and political break-
throughs the Party has mapped out. To

Glasnost: ‘Much to
Study and learn’

At a recent meeting of members and
friends of the Communist Party, William
Kashtan, CPC General Secretary, dealt at
some length with the processes underway in
the Soviet Union to unleash the full human
and material potential for the building of
socialism. These events are being reported
on regularly by the Tribune’s Moscow cor-
respondent, Fred Weir, and are capturing

more and more attention in the Western
media. As a continuing part of this discussion
of these important events and their meaning
for Canadians, we are reprinting excerpts of
Kashtan’ s remarks. The complete text can be
obtained by writing either the Communist
Party, 24 Cecil Street, Toronto, or the
Canadian Tribune, 290A Danforth Ave.,
Toronto.

these three social forces, a fourth could
be added: those who understand what
reconstruction means, and oppose it.

‘‘What has shaped up is a struggle for
change against those who resist change.
As reconstruction goes on, the’ struggle
will sharpen. What one sees is a struggle
between progressive and conservative
social forces in'the USSR...”

Another, comrade Ligachev, one of
the heads of government and of the
CPSU, said: ‘‘We do not hide difficulfies,
neither objective nor subjective. A
struggle is in progress. It is the struggle of
the forces of renewal against those who
would derail reconstruction and push us
into the quagmire of economic stagnation
and social apathy. There can be no
concessions to the obsolete, because
what is at stake is the future of socialism
and our country’s fate.”

But changes in the Soviet Union are
not only aimed at overcoming obstacles
to more rapid advance, they are likewise
directed to restore the image of socialism
in the eyes of the working class of the
world and overcome negatives of the
past period. The image of socialism was
damaged by anti-sovietism and _ anti-
communism, but it was also damaged by
mistakes made in the Soviet Union, mis-
takes which gave grounds for anti-soviet-
ism and anti-communism.

Lasting Lessons

Glasnost and democratization are
directed to change the situation, painful
as it might be, and break down resistance
to necessary changes. Here we should
reflect on the fact that what the Soviet
Union is doing in terms of its own needs
and necessities also has some profound
consequences on the world outside. It

will help overcome prejudices the

capitalist media has used against —

socialism for years and years. It will help
open people’s minds on the changes in

|

the USSR which will in turn be beneficial —

to the peoples struggling for change in the —

capitalist world ...

The Tribune and other media should ©

pay close attention to these develop- |

ments ... to deal with these questions.

The changes developing in the USSR are

valuable lessons for us as we open up

discussion on the Communist Party pro- —

gram, The Road to Socialism in Canada,
because they bring to attention the view

that we have advanced for quite some |

time, that our Party doesn’t accept any
model except a Canadian model as the

way to build a socialist system of society |

in Canada.
Each country finds its own road to
socialism, based on its own traditions

and other factors. What is universal is the —

power of the working class and its allies,
public ownership of the means ‘of

production and planning. And you need |
to have a strong power to ensure that ©

what you win, you don’t lose.
These are the lasting lessons for

communists in working out their specific _

road to socialism, and drawing upon the
rich experience of the international and
democratic movement, the rich exper-
ience of the socialist countries who have

varied forms and methods of develop- ©

ments of socialism, while maintaining
their universal foundation.

We have much to learn here, much to
study. I hope what is said tonight will be
considered only a beginning for a fuller
discussion in our Party that will help us to

further strengthen the image of our Party —

and the image of socialism ...

iy

“It is essential to stimulate the activities of our citizens, of one and all, in constructive

work in eliminating shortcomings, abuses and all other unhealthy phenomenon, al
departures from our legal and moral standards.” — Gorbachev.

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