The leader of the Communist Party Gennady Zyuganov rejected the Valdai Club’s proposal that they change the position of his party from communist to social democratic, calling it an attempt to eliminate traces of the communist ideology in the country.
Experts fear that from the State Duma elections on December 4 only "museum parties" will emerge victorious. At a meeting with the Communist leader at RIA Novosti last Thursday, the experts suggested that the Communist Party transform into a social democratic party, as this would attract younger voters.
“Social democracy is based on many interesting and practical issues. No environment exists here that favors social democratic values,” Zyuganov said.
He believes that such ‘leftist’ ideals as justice and love for humanity would become even more valued throughout the world.
“There are many worthwhile practices (in social democracy) but if social democrats, who are mostly Europeans, give in to the bankers – who are too busy speculating with money and producing ten times more paper money for every one euro worth of goods – no kind of social democracy will be able to restrain the process from the bottom,” the Communist leader said.
Zyuganov also made reference to the Council for Civil Society and Human Rights’proposal to relieve the social consciousness of the country from the memory of Stalin and communism.
In the spring, the council’s working group on the Soviet historical memory published its proposals with regard to a national program for "detotalitarization." The head of the council, Mikhail Fedotov, stressed that the purpose of the group’s proposals is not to "destalinize" Russia, but to overcome the consequences of the past and open the path towards the modernization of the country. Zyuganov claimed that such a project could pose a threat to the country.
“My personal opinion, and you will not like this, is that I think this is a provocation. It is a blatant, cynical and dangerous provocation,” Zyuganov said at a meeting with the Valdai Club experts.
He said there were brilliant people in the country not only before 1917 but in the Soviet era as well.
“During times of crisis, we need to look for ways to unite people, for a supporting foundation without sanctions, corruption, crimes and drug addiction. We must keep looking and we must solve these problems. The other option (decommunization) will lead to a fight,” the Communist Party leader said.
Moscow, November 10 – RIA Novosti.
