MOSCOW, AUGUST 15 - RIA NOVOSTI CORREPSONDENT ALEXANDRA UTKINA. With the beginning of the work of the State Duma's autumn session the CPRF faction will insist on holding "broad parliamentary hearings on the problem of national security," said Gennady Zyuganov, leader of the CPRF and its State Duma faction, at a press conference in Moscow today. He believes that all "institutions must take part" in discussing the problem.

In this connection Zyuganov said that he intends to submit to the parliamentary hearings a document drawn up by the faction and "top-level experts" entitled "Military Reform: Assessment of Threats to Russia's National Security." He said that the document will present "a real picture of the situation in Russia and show the way out of the crisis in the armed forces." He does not agree with the allocation of 3-3.5% of the gross domestic product for the needs of the armed forces, as proposed in the draft budget-98, but proposes "a minimum of 5-7%" He believes that "otherwise it will be impossible to attain any of the goals set by the government."

What Zyuganov described as "the military component" cannot be strengthened without changing the country's socio-economic course, and its tax, spiritual and moral policy. He did not conceal that during the autumn offensive the opposition counts upon support from the military. The CPRF leader spoke positively of the initiative of General Lev Rokhlin who is setting up an "all-Russia movement of support for the army, servicemen, defence industry and military science," and said that he supports the movement.

Incidentally, general Rokhlin also attended the press-conference. Before it began, his address to the citizens of Russia, in which he calls upon all patriots to "moderate their political ambitions and stop settling accounts with each other" was distributed among pressmen.

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Johnson's Russia List

#1129

15 August 1997

djohnson@cdi.org