NATIONAL INTELLIGENCE DAILY

• Document Type: FOIA
• Collection: FOIA Collection
• Document Number (FOIA) /ESDN (CREST): 0005301375
• Release Decision: RIPPUB
• Original Classification: U
• Document Page Count: 26
• Document Creation Date: June 23, 2015
• Document Release Date: September 9, 2009
• Case Number: F-2007-00571
• Publication Date: June 21, 1990

APPROVED FOR RELEASE^
DATE: 09-01-2009.
'~-
CP.9S NID 90-144JX
(b)(1)
(b)(3)
 Special Analyses
USSR: Party Traditionalists Strike Back
CanAda: Meech Lake Accord Still in Jeopardy
Nicaragua: Sandinistas Trying To Improve Image
Australia-China: Rising Tensions Over Students
 USSR: Ps~rq~ Trstditionalists Strlke Back
General Secretary Gorbaehev's hint yesterday that he might not rttn for
reelection to the party's top post overshadowed the second day of the
Russian Republic party conference, dontirtated solar by traditionalist
assaults orr the party leadership.
Commenting yesterday on a proposal in the Russian legislature to bar
individuals from occupying bath the top party and government posts,
Gorbachev said, "Someone else might be the General Secretary" by
the time the CPSU congress opens next month. Politburo
traditionalist l.igachev responded that the party leader must devote
full attention to party affairs or "do without the party." Moscow
party chief Prokofyev came to Gorbachev's defense, arguing it is
being.
Ligachev deplored the deciinittg influence of the Politburo and the
Central Committee in economic and foreign policy and blamed
himself for not joining the fight sooner against the "antisocialist
forces" that he said are destroying the Communist Party and the
union structure. Krasnodar party boss Potozkov, who gave Boris
Yel'tsin a run for the Russian Republic leadership last month, blamed
party leaders for the CPSU's current crisis but stopped short of
The conference voted overwhelmingly to create a Russian Republic
Comment: Soviet officials have tried to quash widespread rumors
that Gorbachev will not seek reelection. His remark may have been
intended to exploit the fierce traditionalist attacks to build support
for his continued tenure. Although Gorbachev's allies have
consistently defended his right to hold both posts, critics have
claimed he is paying too much attention to the presidency at the
party's expense.
The high profile of traditionalists at the conference belies their
numbers, which some party officials put at I O to 20 percent of the
party as a whole, Similar outbursts at previous party meetings have
not undermined Gorbachev's ability to achieve consensus for his
positions. But the traditionalises, who have the most to lose from the
changes he envi ' 'n
their last round,
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