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The Communist Party was not just part of the superstructure of the command system -- it was its nerve center. Therefore the party bears the stamp of all the flaws of that system. That's why today it comes in for a lot of sharp criticism, including often unfair attacks. The party has embarked on the path of profound self-reformation. It is making itself much more democratic. This will enable it to be revived as a powerful, organized political force, a force that our society and people need, and that will help to move perestroika forward and bring people together. That's particularly important at a time when the decentralization of state control coincides with some centrifugal tendencies.
We have sorted out our economic affairs and seen the depth of the crisis caused by the command system. We have tried some new methods of economic management. A few times, we burned our fingers, but even that has taught us some lessons. We've made our choice, without reservation. A few months, maybe a year, will decide everything. We shall rely on a variety of forms of property and real autonomy, along with entrepreneurial risk and initiative, for the producers. We'll put an end to the rule of government agencies. Once the economic reform really gets under way and millions of people become aware of their places in the new order and pitch in vigorously, they'll become more optimistic and confident of their future.
The Soviet Union is a rich country. It has unique natural resources, a powerful production base, advanced science and a talented people. More radical reform will enable us to address our social problems better, to live up to the expectations of our people and to realize the potential of our country, both for its own welfare and that of the rest of the world.
Q. Would you elaborate for us on your vision of a Soviet federation and how it would be different from the Soviet Union in its present form?
A. Democratization and glasnost have led to a rapid process of national revival. In principle, it is a positive process, but it has also brought selfish nationalistic tendencies to the surface. Events in the Baltics, the Caucasus and elsewhere have caused concern abroad as well as within our country. A solution to this truly historic problem can be found, and we are coming closer to it. We still prefer the term union to confederation, although it is certainly true that certain confederative elements might be used.
When the U.S.S.R. was born, there was a heated debate. Lenin was of the view that the Union should be a federation of equal republics, while Stalin in effect favored a unitary state. Lenin's approach was formally adopted in 1922, but in real life things turned out quite differently. It's only now that we are beginning to create a new Union in the original sense of that concept. A truly democratic multinational state and the progress of perestroika are mutually interdependent; each depends very much on the other.