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Article: Pyrhhic victory. (Mikhail Gorbachev and the Soviet Union Communist Party conference)
- Article from:
- The Economist (US)
- Article date:
- July 14, 1990
CopyrightCOPYRIGHT 1990 Economist Newspaper Ltd. This material is published under license from the publisher through the Gale Group, Farmington Hills, Michigan. All inquiries regarding rights should be directed to the Gale Group. (Hide copyright information)
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The 28th congress of the Soviet Communist party, which opened in an atmosphere of conservative triumphalism, looks like ending in victory-of sorts-for Mikhail Gorbachev. The failure of Mr Yegor Ligachev to get himself elected as deputy party leader showed the conservatives' inability to impose themselves. Mr Gorbachev's deputy Will be his own compromise candidate, Mr Vladimir Ivashko, the former party boss in the Ukraine.
Yet, before the congress, Mr Gorbachev had wanted to turn the party into the main force for reform. By the time it opened, he realised that the best he could do was to curtail its power to interfere. He did that, but it may prove to be yet ...