LAST WEEK, the so-called 'trial' of the Soviet Communist party opened in Moscow. But Russian President Boris Yeltsin cannot hope to achieve much in the way of political capital from it. Bashing the Communists will have less and less significance in a society talling to bits, and where publicopinion is turning against the hero of the August 1991 coup.
Yeltsin's own coup was completed last December in the wake of the banning of the Communist Party, as Gorbachev was evicted from the Kremlin, the Soviet Union was formally dissolved. dinary people have fallen dramatically. Theincomeot an averace worker's 2100 roubles a month and a doctor 1000 a month, Whereas a living wage is es timated to be 4000 roubles a month.
Other economic catastrophic. Since 1990 output has fallen by around 25 per cent, Investment has fallen by 55 per cent. Since 1989 consumer price have cone un mor 1200 percent, whereas wages have gone up only by 370 percent. Both exports and imports have fallen by over 50 per cent Nothing could be more symbolic than Yeltsin's proposal to give Russian economic resources to the West in return for reduction or cancellation of the Kusssan debt, Western leaders ard dangling the carrot of a f24 billion injection of capital, but in return they demand rapid privatisation and hoerausagon or the economy Bankruptcy law The key to this proposal is a new bankruptcy law, and the cutting off of 'unprofitable' enterprises. In effect this would mean the destruction of hundreds of Kussian factories and the creation of mass unSo far unemployment in Russia is estimated to be about 130,000. This has Russian masses blocked coup attempt last year However, it can be predicted with certainty that if the bankruptcy law goes through and is applied, there will be an enormous wave of struggle against the ensuing redundancies. The question i what kind of pouncal solutions could emerge in the middle of such a struggle.
Chilean turn
Many Yeltsin advisors are talking darkly of the necessity of a 'Chilean turn with General Pinochet's brutal 1973 coup. 'Chilean' ir this context has a dual meaning: first a rapid liberalisation of the economy, and second an authoritarian political solution. The banning of strikes as a first stage is being widely canvassed in government circles.
Democratic Russia', the broad political movement around Yeltsin, has broken up into a thousand warring fac tions. Inside the government Yeltsin's deputy Rutskoi is in persistent political conflict with his boss, making himself the champion of Kussian nationalism Where is the left in this situation?
The main force coming out of the Communist party is a broad coalition called Trudovia Rossia (Russian Labour). Within this coalition the main force is the Communist Workers' Party of Russia, which claims 150,000 mem75,000 and many fewer activists.
Stalinism
But the Communist Workers' Party combines unreconstructed Stalinism with strong nationalist, authoritarian and even anti-Semitiestrands. While it members stand daily vigil beside demonstrations with the fascist Pama! organisation.
The other major significant force is the Socialist Workers Party of Russia, which claims 50,000 members, probably a vast exaggeration. This body, which has no connection with the British SWP, has as its best-known figure the old Communist dissident Roy Medvedev.It bases itself on Gorbachev's reform