2m,

of the economy and ultimately the
Prosperity of the people. It should be
Stressed also that revision of retail pri-
ces must be done without detriment to
the living standards of the population.
. _ An effective social policy is one of
the chief priorities in the Party’s
activity. This is why it is vital to
highlight the social purport of
economic development while
elaborating the 13th Five-Year Plan.
Special attention should be given to
quickly meeting the Soviet people’s
need for quality foodstuffs. It is also
important that the market gets a big
Tange of quality consumer goods, that
a modern sphere of services is created,
housing construction accelerated, and
that existing public health and
education programs succeed.

One of the main tasks is to step up
the efforts for environmental protection
and improvement of the ecological
Situation in the country.

As decided by the 27th CPSU
Congress, the number one production
task is the program for accelerated
development of key mechanical
engineering branches, electronics,
instrument making, and machine-tool
Construction. Next year we have to
Start more resolutely and radically
changing structural policy in the field
of production and investment and
taking rigorous economy and resource
Saving measures.

It is quite possible to reach the
targets set in the 12th Five-Year Plan
and raise our economic and social
sphere to a new qualitative level.
Hundreds and even thousands of
Soviet work collectives have
considerably raised labour productivity
and achieved world-beating levels
under the new conditions of
management. Not only individual
enterprises and associations but whole
branches are keeping the set pace
according to all indicators. Thanks to
better management, certain regions and
Republics have performed better than
average in food supplies and goods and
Services for the public. The paramount
task of all economic executives and all
work collectives is to follow the
example of advanced enterprises, use
their experience, eradicate parasitic
attitudes, and show their own initiative.

Science & Technology

estructuring
stipulates the all-
round
development
and maximum
use of the
intellectual and
spiritual
potential
Contained in progressing science,
education, and culture.

The Party’s economic and social
Strategy is based on speeding up
Scientific and technological progress
and, first of all, mastering the
achievements of its present stage linked
with the development of advanced
technologies — microelectronics,
Tobotics, data processing,
biotechnology — and also the
development of materials with preset
qualities, instrument making, etc.

Positive shifts are taking shape in the
development of Soviet science and
technology. Higher standards are put
on the technological level of products.
The terms for introducing up-to-date
items into production have been
reduced. The network of technological
research organizations has become
more flexible. There have appeared

fundamentally new structural entities:
inter-sectoral technological research
complexes, engineering centres, and
task forces. More than 500 research
and production associations have been
established. Investments in research
and development have grown. It is also
important that research organizations
are becoming an integral part of the
system of cost accounting.

But no substantial changes have
taken place in scientific and
technological progress. Effective
mechanisms have not yet been found
for reflecting work collectives’ interests
in this important sphere. The material
base of Soviet science continues lagging
behind. Many executives still consider
only the benefits of the moment and
fully rely upon higher ranking bodies.

The mainstream for influencing
technological progress lies through

Socialism today cannot
successfully develop
without advancement in
science and technology.
This progress coupled with
socialism, in turn, becomes
a mighty lever for social
rejuvenation and onward
movement.

restructuring an economic mechanism
which is supposed to ensure the steady
perfection of production and maintain
the quality of items at world-beating
levels.

The call of the day is more resolute
measures in perfecting the management
of technology and overcoming
departmental barriers. Inter-sectoral
associations that are not directly
subordinate to Ministries are one of the
new organizational forms. They make
it possible to ensure strict succession
between research, technology and
equipment, investment, production,
sales, and services. Work collectives
will be able to more promptly renew
equipment and technology without any
delays and departmental coordinations.

Technology issues have to be viewed
in the general context of social
development. The social impact of
large-scale projects needs to be
carefully studied if we are to avoid
grave ecological and moral
consequences. The latter must be
reduced to a minimum or excluded
altogether.

The new tasks facing society at the
present stage considerably raise the role
of science in all processes of
restructuring. The present level of
society’s development calls for a major
breakthrough in all natural, technical,
and social sciences. The USSR
Academy of Sciences is expected to
make a growing contribution to this.

Socialism today cannot successfully
develop without advancement in
science and technology. This progress
coupled with socialism, in turn,
becomes a mighty lever for social
rejuvenation and onward movement.

The humanistic principles of our
policy are aimed at ensuring society’s
spiritual progress and boosting people’s
cultural and educational standards.
Much attention has in the last three
years been paid to the development of
education at all its stages and levels.
Problems of restructuring the system of
general, specialized, and higher
education were examined at the
February 1988 Plenary Meeting of the
CPSU Central Committee. Our higher

| snare ati uaa aera halo RAE ie:

and secondary schools are lagging far
behind the needs of the time and
scientific, technological, and cultural
progress. Vigorous efforts by all society

-are needed to assure an improved
quality of development.

More and more favorable conditions
are being created in the course of
restructuring for Soviet culture to
advance, for people to refine morally
and intellectually, for talents and gifts
to win through and for civil qualities to
dominate. Our intellectuals are making
a weighty contribution to the
accomplishment of these tasks. Earlier
existing and newly-established artistic
unions and associations have stepped
up their activity. The artist’s
responsibility for the destinies of the
country have become an even more
topical problem.

Democratization

he CPSU’s
policy for
restructuring
and speeding up
the country’s
socio-economic
development has
from the very
outset been
linked with democratization of Soviet
society and affirmation of the people’s
- socialist self-government. Very
important shifts have taken place in
this respect. Thanks to truthfulness,
openness, and greater criticism and self-
criticism, the country’s life has become
more vigorous, democratic processes
are being launched in production
management, and resolute steps are
being taken to combat inertia and
outdated structures. But what has been
done up to now is only a prelude to the
accomplishment of an extremely
significant and complicated
task — profound and all-round
democratization of the Party and
society.

An unbiased analysis of the
achievements in the economic, social,
and cultural spheres over the past three
years and the problems emerging in the
course of restructuring testifies to the
need for reforming the political system
of Soviet society. The aim is to really
draw broad sections of the population
into running all state and public affairs
and to complete the formation of a
socialist law-based state.

It is vital to strengthen and develop

Mikhail and Raisa Gorbachev attend a youth concert ata Young Pioneers’ camp.

the fundamental principles of socialist
statehood born of the October
Revolution. These principles and, first
of all, the power of the people with the
Party in the vanguard, are an
indispensable condition for our
country’s subsequent social progress.

Restructuring is called upon to free
the political system of Soviet society
from all that is linked with the
consequences of the personality cult,
administrative regimentation, red tape,
working people’s alienation from
government, and deviations from the
Leninist norms of Party and State life.
It should go on dynamically and lead
to timely rejuvenation, with due regard
for the changing conditions of domestic
and international life.

Party and State

estructuring
presents in a
new light the
CPSU’s role as
the guiding and
organizing force
in Soviet society.

The CPSU
Central
Committee proceeds from the Leninist
concept of the Party as the political
vanguard of the working class and all
working people. Guided by the
Marxist-Leninist doctrine, the Party is
called upon to work out a theory and
strategy of social development,
domestic and foreign policy, and the
ideology of socialist rejuvenation. It
must also carry out political and
organizational work among the people
and properly educate and place
personnel.

The Party acted in this very way in
Lenin’s lifetime and under Lenin’s
leadership. But after Lenin’s death,
deviations from the Leninist principles
started. Freedom of discussion,
traditional for the Party, was curtailed.
Foundations of collective leadership
and inner-Party democracy were
violated. This vicious practice remained
in the years of stagnation to some
extent or other. The absence of
limitations on elected office upset the
natural rejuvenation of personnel.
Some executives started thinking that
they had been appointed to their posts
for life. They considered themselves
infallible, abused power, and neglected
the interests of rank-and-file Party
members and working people.

pina eich aise

Pacific Tribune, June 22, 1988 « 9