Russian Communist Party Leader Zyuganov's Press Conference 🇷🇺

(20 Dec 1995) Russian/Eng/Nat

After making big gains in the recent elections the leader of the Russian Communist Party said the outcome was a vote to rebuild the Soviet Union.

But Gennady Zyuganov denied the Communist Party was opposed to economic growth.

In this week's parliamentary elections the Communists scored the biggest victory of any party in the country.

Russia's Communist Party leader- Gennady Zyuganov is confident that rebuilding the Soviet Union is only a question of time.

After a clear victory in the elections the leader of the Russian Communist Party was keen to lay out the details of his party's programme.

SOUNDBITE: (Russian)
"The question of voluntarily resurrecting the Soviet Union step by step - is a matter of time. We want the Kremlin to suggest that Ukraine, Belarus and Kazakhstan remove their customs barriers and restore economic, cultural and educational links."
SUPER CAPTION: Gennady Zyuganov, leader of Russian Communist Party

Zyuganov lashed out the government for trying to frighten foreign investors.

He says the government is portraying him as an enemy of Russia's economic progress.

But the Communist leader is willing to promote investment in the country.

SOUNDBITE: (Russian)
"The authorities are trying to frighten off investors saying that Zyuganov is their enemy. But you should ask them how much they've invested here this year - less than a billion. While they've been investing 120 times more in China - no one's frightened of the communist government there. But here they're trying to scare off investment, although all of us communists have lots of experience in industry and business and we would like to encourage any industrial activity no matter whether it's in state or private ownership."
SUPER CAPTION: Gennady Zyuganov, leader of Russian Communist Party

With over a third of seats in the new parliament in the hands of the communists, many are waiting to see whether the Communist Party will be true to its campaign rhetoric which called for a return to the Soviet past.

Among those worried about turning the clock back are Russia's new rich -- they have used the new economic opportunities to invest in land and luxury houses.

But foreign economic experts say that it would be very difficult for the Communists to reverse many of the changes.

SOUNDBITE: (English)
"Once you've got free prices it's extremely difficult to reintroduce controls, they break down. Once you've got new people owning real property the battle to take it away from them is going to be very difficult and of course if you compensated them it would be impossibly expensive. They won't rolling back either the market or private ownership."
SUPER CAPTION: Richard Layard, Economic Advisor to the Russian Government

Zyuganov pointed to impoverishment of the masses, growth of prices and taxes as top priorities for the Communist Party.

His strongest words were reserved for the country's mafia- who he promised to eradicate from Russia.

SOUNDBITE: (Russian)

"Our second priority is security. Everywhere I have visited around the country people were complaining to me about the complete lawlessness. Racketeers totally control small and medium-sized businesses. More powerful businesses have got their own security operations but people are killed even so. And what about ordinary people - they're prisoners in their own homes."
SUPER CAPTION: Gennady Zyuganov, leader of Russian Communist Party

Zyuganov knows that the June election could be the last big chance for a Communist takeover.



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