Gorbachev Wins Broad Economic Powers

President Mikhail S. Gorbachev was given sweeping powers by a vacillating Parliament today to transform the Soviet Union’s creaking economy on his own terms.

The decision immediately put the Kremlin at odds with delegates from the Russian Federation who vowed to challenge the new powers and warned that conflict with the country’s increasingly assertive republics was inevitable.

The Supreme Soviet voted overwhelmingly to empower Gorbachev to issue decrees covering virtually every aspect of economic and social life until March 31, 1992. But it postponed a decision on how to transform the rapidly deteriorating economy into a market-based system.

In an impassioned speech before the vote, Gorbachev urged deputies to grant him the additional powers to enable decisions to be made quickly.

Repeatedly thumping the rostrum during his 10-minute address, Gorbachev vowed to exercise his new powers with “full responsibility.”

“It’s a responsibility. It’s not a tea party,” he said.

The Supreme Soviet earlier put off a decision on how to introduce market mechanisms and save the economy from collapse. It opted instead to continue work on reconciling three rival sets of proposals described by many economists as incompatible.

A compromise plan is now due to be presented by Oct. 15, two weeks later than originally scheduled.

Within hours of being granted the new powers, Gorbachev announced the retirement of the minister responsible for the chemical and oil processing industry, Nikolai Lemayev.

Gorbachev said he would use his new powers to implement whatever economic program was adopted eventually by Parliament.

Areas of broad agreement in Parliament include privatization of industry and measures to encourage foreign investment. More controversial issues concern the extent of economic jurisdiction of the central government and the 15 republics.

Prime Minister Nikolai I. Ryzhkov, who has advocated cautious reforms, said today’s vote left “no victors and no defeated.”