Election Fraud Galvanizes Russian Opposition, Communist Party 20 Years After......

[KurtFF8]

Election Fraud Galvanizes Russian Opposition, Communist Party 20 Years After Soviet Union’s Collapse

Source (http://www.democracynow.org/2011/12/30/election_fraud_galvanizes_russian_opposition_commu nist)


Allegations of widespread fraud in the recent elections that gave Prime Minister Vladimir Putin’s United Russia party a parliamentary majority have galvanized massive street protests in opposition to the Russian political establishment. This comes on the 20th year anniversary of the breakup of the Soviet Union. “The reason that the people that control the financial oligarchy of Russia don’t want free elections, is they know that ... the people would vote for candidates pledging to confiscate their property,” which was privatized in the 1990s, says Stephen Cohen, professor of Russian studies at New York University. He notes “these elections were not free and fair, but they were the freest and fairest in 15 years,” and that members of the country’s middle class make up the bulk of the protesters. Cohen also argues the American media has failed to report on the resurgence of the Communist Party, supported mainly by working class voters in Russia’s vast provinces, which could challenge Putin in the 2012 presidential race and force a run-off election.

Excellent segment on Democracy Now! about what's going on. I likely have some disagreements with Professor Cohen but this seems quite on point.

[cheguvera]

capitalists are not delivering the democracy.? we may see capitalist dictators who are feeding the super-rich in Russia.

[freya4]

It will be interesting, if they actually get into power, to see what the CPRF does, since they seem to have no real platform, but rather just gain votes by their nationalist rhetoric and Soviet nostalgia. I would be much more excited to see a genuine revolutionary party get elected, but at least the CPRF's popularity indicates that Russians are fed up of their current government and are looking for alternatives. Hopefully they won't channel this anger and frustration into dangerous outlets (ie fascism, racism).

[Robespierre Richard]

It will be interesting, if they actually get into power, to see what the CPRF does, since they seem to have no real platform, but rather just gain votes by their nationalist rhetoric and Soviet nostalgia. I would be much more excited to see a genuine revolutionary party get elected, but at least the CPRF's popularity indicates that Russians are fed up of their current government and are looking for alternatives. Hopefully they won't channel this anger and frustration into dangerous outlets (ie fascism, racism).

Pretty much yeah, Zyu is kind of a pointless figurehead who was allowed to be in charge of the party because he had no connection to the constitutional crisis of 1993. Even prior to the 1996 election he said at Davos that foreign investments are not threatened if he comes to power and that he would only reform the Russian system. Of course he was a threat to the oligarchs as well as the Washington establishment so it never happened.

Today the CPRF is the only party in the Duma that isnt just an affiliate of United Russia, but the have no stance on important matters such as the planned economy, it's basically a party that is for some reform that is popular because it isn't liberal.

[Commissar Rykov]

The CPRF has always struck me as a party that opportunistically takes advantage of the Russian peoples nostalgia for the Soviet Union and a appeal to nationalism where the USSR could stand up against the United States on the World Stage. Also corruption at its worst in the USSR was still better than the blatant corruption of the Russian Federation where they specifically use military troops to harass opponents to Putin or the Rich Oligarchs that reside in the their secluded communities.

[KurtFF8]

Indeed, it seems that the CPRF is quite unpopular amongst the "true revolutionary left," But if they actually make an impact in Russia, it would be a rare case of the nostalgia for the socialist past actually being translated into real political action.

This would be an interesting development regardless of our criticisms of the CPRF

[Robespierre Richard]

The CPRF has always struck me as a party that opportunistically takes advantage of the Russian peoples nostalgia for the Soviet Union and a appeal to nationalism where the USSR could stand up against the United States on the World Stage.

Then I'd suggest learning more about it and not following impoverished stereotypes prevalent in the West if you want to make educated and informative statements about it.

[Ocean Seal]

http://static.quickmeme.com/media/social/qm.gifhttp://static.quickmeme.com/media/social/qm.gifhttp://www.quickmeme.com/meme/35lwqi/
http://www.revleft.com/vb/data:image/png;base64,iVBORw0KGgoAAAANSUhEUgAAAAEAAAABCAIAAAC Qd1PeAAAADElEQVQImWNgYGAAAAAEAAGjChXjAAAAAElFTkSuQ mCC

[cheguvera]

Russians political parties have failed to deliver proper socialism or proper capitalism to its people.They cant even hold a proper election now.These kinds of bastards will not take the russians to prosperity.People should undetstand that so called politicians, political parties, guardians & leaders are not trust worthy.They should find a system that deliver their aspiartions.You will not see politicians,bureaucrats ,dictators or guradians in such a system.

[Rafiq]

What we should note, is that if the cprf would ever win, it would be a propaganda boost for the left in the west.

I can see people already saying "The communist party won elections in russia?"

[cheguvera]

The CPRF has always struck me as a party that opportunistically takes advantage of the Russian peoples nostalgia for the Soviet Union and a appeal to nationalism where the USSR could stand up against the United States on the World Stage. Also corruption at its worst in the USSR was still better than the blatant corruption of the Russian Federation where they specifically use military troops to harass opponents to Putin or the Rich Oligarchs that reside in the their secluded communities.
yep,
it looks Soviet communists were more democratic than current Russian capitalists.
Idea of democracy is a value of capialists.When capitalists are not following it,Who is going to safeguard it in Russia.There will be a future for communists in Russia without the democracy.But there is no way capitalists are going to have a future in Russia without the democracy.
It is upto them to follow it, observe it & safeguard it.

[North Star]

If I say that I think that the CPRF would probably be a disaster does that make me a sectarian? :D Seriously though they might be able to offer some relief to workers and the poor, but I would be concerned about non-Russians, especially immigrants. Also, despite the democratic struggle they have waged, Zyuganov & Co. are not democrats. The CPRF leadership were trained in politics and leadership at a time when just about no one on the left from Hoxhaists, Maoists, Stalinists and Leninist of any sort considered the USSR socialist, maybe just the mainline Communist Parties in the West. That being said I would be curious to see how the Western bourgeois intelligentsia and media would react to Communists winning power back in Russia. It would be seen by the World as a rejection of capitalism, though while it is to an extent, they are the only mass opposition party to Putin. A lot of people who voted particularly from the middle class for them did so for this reason. Still it would be hugely symbolic.

Then again if they were to come to power in fresh elections, given the manner in which it was accomplished, the masses are mobilized and waiting for change. There will be scrutiny and the CPRF will be unable to resort to authoritarian measures or they will find themselves in Putin's position now. Then again Putin and United Russia while at the end of the day were full of Great Russian chauvinism didn't fan the ultranationalist flame and scapegoat other nationalities and immigrants too much. I fear the CPRF may do this to stay in power.

If someone knows more about Russian politics could they please fill us in on if the CPRF's last campaign still contained their reactionary and nationalist positions? As the party evolved at all going into the last election? Maybe my view is a little out of date, perhaps the rank and file of the party has changed. I have heard there are left factions in it and a fair amount of youth in the party, but then again since other left groups in Russia have been growing than the most progressive elements may not be in the CPRF even now.

[cheguvera]

If someone knows more about Russian politics could they please fill us in on if the CPRF's last campaign still contained their reactionary and nationalist positions? As the party evolved at all going into the last election?

How they are goiing to handle former KGB agents who represent the new russian elite? They are the billionaires in capitalist Russia.

[Nox]

Everyone knows the LDPR is the best. ;)

[Sinister Cultural Marxist]

So if the CPRF wins ... then what? It's seen as a propaganda coup against capitalism around the world, then they crack down on immigrants and create a state capitalist economy full of contradictions. How long before a capitalist economic crisis makes them lose an election, and will people blame that crisis on "communism"? Assuming that a Soviet nostalgia party would do anything good in the long term is rather naive ... look at Moldova.

[Robespierre Richard]

So if the CPRF wins ... then what? It's seen as a propaganda coup against capitalism around the world, then they crack down on immigrants and create a state capitalist economy full of contradictions. How long before a capitalist economic crisis makes them lose an election, and will people blame that crisis on "communism"? Assuming that a Soviet nostalgia party would do anything good in the long term is rather naive ... look at Moldova.

Then I would suggest reading the CPRF party program. It is divided into three stages.

Stage one is reverting the disastrous reforms that have happened in the last 20 years. That is, nationalizing all large companies and factories and setting up a rule of law in the economic sector. In addition, connections with former Soviet Republics would be rebuilt through trade and visa agreements that do not assume one side's dominance over another. Finally, the system of people's soviets, trade unions, and committees of self-government, self-defense, and self-organization to increase workers' participation in government. There would be a referendum to re-establish the entire Soviet mode of governance.

Stage two is re-establishing principles of planned economy and planning resource use and investment in state-owned enterprises in accordance with indicators, just as with the USSR's Gosplan. At this stage market mechanisms would still exist, but will be placed under more stringent regulation. Lastly, the current scissors crisis in agriculture will be eliminated and investments would increase into its mechanization and productivity.

Stage three is public ownership of all resources, increased investments into science and technology, and the social sphere, so socialism and such.

There's also a lot of particulars like environmental protections, making the mass media more democratic and open to all political groups, improving education and healthcare, etc. etc.

To be honest, these are the only things they can do, so I don't know how they would "sell out" if they win, unless a political surrender is negotiated like in the 1996 elections. Zyuganov is notoriously unreliable and is said to be head of the CPRF because he is one of the few communists who did not participate in the events of October 1993, meaning that he supports the present illegal and anti-constitutional state.

[Ismail]

Assuming that a Soviet nostalgia party would do anything good in the long term is rather naive ... look at Moldova.Is the Moldovan "Party of Communists" a "Soviet nostalgia party"? News to me. It retains the "Communist" name but it's to the right of the CPUSA. Bit different from the CPRF which actually does have nostalgia for the USSR and whose members actually argue for central planning and such. The Moldovan CP condemns Transnistria and adopts "patriotic" positions, and I'm also fairly sure it backed Moldova's secession from the USSR as well.

I don't think the CPRF is actually a working-class party, but comparing it with the Moldovan CP is not correct.