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WEEKLY NEWSLETTER
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Soviet Union
Index
At the September 30, 1988, plenum of the Central Committee, the
CPSU announced that six new commissions would be formed to develop
policy and oversee its implementation in a series of key areas. A
resolution of the November 1988 plenum that actually established
the commissions maintained that their purpose was to "facilitate
the involvement of Central Committee members and candidate members
in active work on major directions of domestic and foreign policy."
Several factors led to the formation of these new party bodies.
First, Gorbachev probably sought to strengthen reformist influence
at the top of the party hierarchy. Second, the move was designed to
reduce the party's day-to-day involvement in the economy. Thus,
only one of the six commissions was concerned with economic policy,
while another dealt with agriculture. Finally, Gorbachev's desire
to reduce the power of his conservative rival, Ligachev, also
helped to explain the move. Prior to September 1988, Ligachev had
been the party's second secretary, the official who usually chaired
meetings of the Secretariat. By limiting the influence of the
Secretariat and by placing Ligachev in charge of agriculture--the
Achilles heel of the economy--Gorbachev eliminated Ligachev as a
competitor for power.
As of May 1989, the actual work of the commissions belied the
significance the party attached to them. In their first six months,
none of the commissions had met more than once. All the communiqués
reporting on their meetings have been devoid of substance.
Data as of May 1989
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