Interfax: Russia hits dead-end but slaps Americans on nose – Communist Party

MOSCOW. Dec 23 (Interfax) – Russian Communist Party Central Committee First Deputy Chairman, State Duma First Vice-Speaker Ivan Melnikiov has presented the results of the outgoing year the way they are seen by the communists.

“The period of pretentious capitalism which is addicted to the resource model started to expire in 2013. Practically everyone said that the country had hit a dead-end. One cannot be happy about it but it is politically important that the Russian Communist Party’s prognosis was precise and the demand for our anti-crisis program would grow,” Melnikov told Interfax.

He also said that the outgoing year was full of landmark events. “The international role of Russia became more prominent, and the “Syrian” and “Ukrainian” slaps to the nose of America were clearly significant,” the first vice-speaker said.

The year was also important for the Russian Communist Party, which marked the 20th anniversary of its modern history, Melnikov said. “The parliament’s bombardment, the contemporary constitution and the Federal Assembly marked similar anniversaries,” Melnikov said.

“The jubilees coincided with a crisis of the socioeconomic and financial policy and caused a major rethinking of both the outgoing year and the entire period of 20 years,” he continued.

Speaking of the political struggle in 2013, Melnikov cited “two most significant examples, two landmark decisions: the law reforming the Russian Academy of Sciences and the new pension reform.”

“The Russian Communist Party faction took a clear, reasoned and firm position both on Academy reform and pension reform. The position, especially the one on the Academy, was both heard and supported by the scientific community and society as a whole. It also caused a motion of no confidence in the government: we launched a campaign for the resignation of this government and we continued it actively,” Melnikov said.

Speaking of the State Duma’s achievements in 2013, he pointed to the new law on the Audit Chamber. “It bolstered the controlling powers of this body and strengthened its connection with the State Duma,” he said.

“For me personally, this is the year of the Moscow mayoral election, in which I took the most active part,” Melnikov said in conclusion.