Power to the People

News coming out of the Soviet Union since coal strikes erupted two weeks ago has been confusing. First, Soviet President Mikhail S. Gorbachev criticized the strikers for threatening his reform program, then he praised them for seeking economic change. Western commentators said that this is the worst crisis of Gorbachev’s tenure, then said it is the grass-roots support he desperately needs. Next, it was announced that Gorbachev was to conduct a “purge” of party and government officials, apparently a sign that Moscow is fearful of discord in the ranks.

All of these reports are accurate but skirt the central point: Gorbachev slowly--and successfully--has turned this crisis into a new stage in his campaign for domestic reform.

His appearance before the new Soviet Parliament on Monday was the turning point. Gorbachev announced that each Soviet republic can decide when to hold elections for local government councils, elections he had previously postponed nationwide. This means that regions dissatisfied with local authorities can oust these officials as soon as they want. In this way local apparatchiki can be replaced--or purged--sooner rather than later and Gorbachev will not have to take the heat for it directly.

More importantly, disgruntled workers will begin to voice their complaints and suggestions on local and regional levels; in the past, even local decisions were often made in Moscow because of the centralized decision-making system. Local elections in restless districts may calm brewing strike movements and help channel discontent into the local system. Later this week Gorbachev strengthened his support for further decentralization when one of his deputies, Anatoly Lukyanov, announced that the Kremlin would support economic autonomy for the Baltic republics.

The coal strikes were “not about a shortage of soap or sausage,” one parliamentary deputy said. “This is a cry of despair from the nation.” Living and working conditions in large portions of the nation are, simply, intolerable. But now Gorbachev has made his point that these despairing cries are best answered on the local level; they cannot be quelled with planeloads of promises from Moscow. The discontent that caused the strikes has not been erased, but Gorbachev has successfully returned the strikers’ volley. May the elections begin.