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Russia's Communist Party says it has the solution to the financial crisis. The party’s leader, Gennady Zyuganov, has complained bitterly about Kremlin policies and called for the restoration of the Soviet Union, proclaiming “renovated socialism of t

Speaking at a two-day Communist Party Congress in Moscow, he said the Kremlin has been promising too much, while doing too little.

“The ruling group has not achieved any noticeable success, nor does it have any action plan. It has been guided by the sole goal of staying in power at any cost,” he said.

Zyuganov called on likeminded people to prepare for the winds of change.

“If a revolutionary situation arises – and it will arise sooner or later – then the key issue is who'll be in power and what changes are likely to happen.”

According to Zyuganov, the global financial crisis has shown that the collapse of capitalism is inevitable.
     
“It is increasingly obvious that socialism is not a product of propaganda, but a natural and unavoidable phase of development. The collapse of the speculative financial market is a turning point,” Zyuganov added.

The Communist Party claims to have the solution to the crisis.

“Instead of taking drastic measures to support the real economy, the money has usually been given to those who have already wasted it and have bankrupted the country,” Zyuganov continued.

He also called for restoring the Soviet Union, which he believes is quite possible. The nationalisation of the country's mining, energy and other strategic sectors is the key task, according to Zyuganov.

Criticism has always been a forte of this party, which calls itself ‘the only real opposition in Russia’. But the Communist Party is not basing its appeal on the newness of its ideas; rather it sees its message being like a good wine, which improves with age.

Delegates from 83 countries visited their comrades in Moscow. Despite the fact these meetings are no longer the massive events they once were, both young and old happily listened to speeches and read pamphlets.

The size of the event is a testimony to the enduring appeal of the Communist Party, whose influence many expected to wane years ago. But most of the old-schoolers insist the political pendulum is once again swinging in their favour.

Julio Garmendia, a representative of the Communist Party of Cuba, said:

“Over the years Cuba has proved that communism can be alive if its ideas are correctly applied to meet people’s needs.”

But some political commentators suggest this is nothing more than wishful thinking.

“As far as the contents are concerned, the communists’ ideas are in demand. But in politics it’s more important to have an effective tool nobody else has. The Communists don’t have such a tool at present,” said Mikhail Vinogradov, the President of St. Petersburg Politics Fund.

The Communist Party is Russia's largest opposition party with more than 12 per cent of seats in the lower house of the country’s parliament, the State Duma.