MOSCOW (AFP)--Russia's Communist Party said Saturday that it was ready to challenge the dominant ruling party of Prime Minister Vladimir Putin amid the heavy fallout from the global economic crisis.
Communist Party chief Gennady Zyuganov told the annual party congress in Moscow that the economic crisis, which is set to exact a heavy toll on Russia, had underlined the necessity of a socialist society.
He presented the Communists - the force that ruled the Soviet Union in a one party state - as the only credible opposition to Putin's United Russia party, which dominates parliament.
"Our party is in stark opposition to the current authorities," Zyuganov told the party faithful, flanked by a giant bust of the founder of the Russian revolution Vladimir Lenin.
"The Communist Party is a strong political party and the reason for the existence of any self-respecting party is to fight for power," Russian news agencies quoted him as saying.
"We do not hide that we are fighting and will fight for power in our country." Zyuganov pointed out the communists were the only party in parliament to vote against a Kremlin-backed bill to extend presidential terms.
The party is due to discuss a new manifesto, which Zyuganov said would bring suggestions for helping Russia out of the economic crisis.
"Our congress is taking place at a time when the systematic crisis of the imperialist world is getting worse. Its pillars are shaking and that is happening in front of our eyes," he said.
"It is becoming clearer and clearer that socialism is not the whim of idealogues but a natural unavoidable stage in the history of mankind," Zyuganov added.
Zyuganov has been an ever-present figure in Russian politics over the last decade, running unsuccessfully as the Communist Party candidate in 1996, 2000 and again in 2008.
In the 2008 elections, Zyuganov polled just over 17% of the vote, well behind current President Dmitry Medvedev, and alleged that the polls had been marred by fraud.
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(END) Dow Jones Newswires
November 29, 2008 10:00 ET (15:00 GMT)

Publié le 29 novembre 2008 Copyright © 2008 Dowjones