Pravda writer fences with
Lithuanian movement A MAJOR DEVELOPMENT of the late summer and the fall in the USSR is the emergence of mass movements in the Baltic republics independent of the Communist Party. The following article from Pravda of October 26 indicates a tactical approach toward the Lithuanian Sajudis ['movement"]. It acknowledges in a backhanded way a shift in the Soviet authorities' approach to this movement.
While using the Stalinist method of innuendo against unnamed political villains, it tries to accuse them of Stalinism. Although "street democracy" was denounced in Pravda as the capital sin of the Armenian movement, it is described here as something that has played a useful role but now must be superceded. D SHNYUKAS W HAT SORT of movement is this Sajudis, whose founding congress was held over the recent holidays in Vilnius? How does it fit into the public structures of Lith8 uania. What is its social base? What is its response to perestroika? Naturally, there are
BIG MIKE
Princident
GORBACHEV Gorbachev
GORBAC FOREIGN MOIS NOw FARMCIAR MINISTER than Ever questions because the process of perestroika is bound up with the most unusual public and social situations and phenomena. This is especially so since we have not yet encountered such massive movements as the People's Fronts in Latvia and Estonia and Sajudis in Lithuania. For that reason, the evaluations have so far been very cautious....
Regional self-financing discussed at congress
And so the congress of Sajudis. Its agenda included considering the essential tasks of perestroika in the [Lithuanian] republic, adopting statutes and programs and the elections to the parliament and its executive. The leadership of the movement will not be fixed. That was the general structure of the congress's work. What was the content? Needless to say, it was not uniform.
In the first place, it should be said that the congress was very instructive for party, soviet and economic workers, both in the broad range of problems that were discussed and in the bold, frank and sharp posing of questions....
The congress discussed and proposed amendments to such important documents as the recently published project for economic independence of the republic. Scholars from the Academy of Sciences of the Lithuanian SSR presented a new draft constitution for the Lithuanian SSR. It was noted that the idea of regional selffinancing is finding more and more supporters. The economy of the republic needs renovation, prosperity will come by way of local initiative, not through commands. What is accomplished in each region will assure the reflation of the country' sentire
International Viewpoint #151 • November 14, 1988
Gurba tur Gene Gorbachev Secret
FOP
POLITBURO
COP HE TROL economy.
Self-financing on the republic level, independence in allotting resources, including currency, will offer a real possibility for entering into direct trade, cultural, scholarly and sporting relations with foreign contries. At the same time, it will make it possible to unburden the central authorities and organizations and overcome bureaucratism and abuses. It will make it possible to make the status of the republics, including Lithuania, more real.
A very lively discussion, even a dispute, was aroused by Sajudis' program on national relations and the status of the Lithuanian language. Sajudis proposes (this is written into the new draft constitution of the Lithuanian SSR) to make Lithuanian the language of government, while creating conditions for the development of the languages of other nationalities living in the republic and of Russian as the language of communication among the nationalities.
As the first secretary of the Lithuanian Communist Party, A. Brazauskas, declared at the congress, the renaissance of Lithuanian national feeling gives no grounds for fear to representatives of other nationalities....
"Social justice and reasonable migration"
The question of "citizenship" of the Lithuanian SSR was raised by considerations of social justice and reasonable migration. It is no secret that there are in the country many "wanderers," who only migrate to places where they scent quick advantage. The lack of attachment to the history and culture of a given region has deprived them of many features of morality and patriotism.
Sajudis is the initiator of quite a lot of
serious work on questions of ecology and health...
The congress devoted considerable attention to the fate and restoration of the dignity and material position of former prisoners and internal exiles in the period of the cult of the personality....
The congress noted another development Ine congress notea anoiner development — the return to public life in the republic of the church and believers....
The bulk of the speakers were people respected in the republic, who spoke purposefully, concretely and offered constructive proposals....
### Whipping up "vulgar nationalism"
However, there was another sort of speaker and another sort of audience, the guests or the "gallery." It was not hard to see that among them feelings prevailed over reason, irresponsibility over sense....
There were speakers of an extremist character, thrusting ideas of separatism and national isolation on the congress and "forgetting" the concept of socialism, among others. It was reassuring that the delegates were able to separate the wheat from the chaff....
In their enthusiasm, its [Sajudis'] members do not always realize whether their demands are realistic or not. Making great demands on the administrative apparatus, some of them have not raised a finger for perestroika. On the other hand, some simply want to settle old scores....Many of these masters of opportunism and adaptation, denounce the "theory and practice of Stalinism" in words, not realizing that they remain in its grip; they do not tolerate criticism....It is considered that people of this sort, of whatever nationality they may be, are not loath to whip up vulgar nationalism, to resort to distributing provocative leaflets and so on, which go outside the law.
Participants in the movement often complain that party organs do little to help them. But two first secretaries of regional committees spoke at the congress, and the "gallery" received them with obvious coolness. And there were those who, forgetting the elementary rules of discussion, jumped up and shouted.
"Street democracy" was timely and useful for the advance of perestroika. But in the future, when the program is clearly defined and painstaking daily work begins, it can offer a very poor service. The elected leadership should think about that.
There is no reason to hide the fact that up until now, relations between the central and local leaderships and Sajudis have been strained....
Today, when the leadership of the Central Committee of the Lithuanian CC has been renewed and the movement has achieved legal status, with a democratically elected leadership, misunderstanding will doubtless disappear. In fact, Sajudis has proclaimed that its goals are the same....*
USSR • NICARAGUA