#11
Russian Communists could have several poll hopefuls
By Ron Popeski
MOSCOW, June 22 (Reuters) - Russia's opposition Communist Party, hit by the expulsion of several dissidents, acknowledged for the first time on Saturday that its choice of candidate in presidential elections could be subject to a selection process.
Veteran leader Gennady Zyuganov told reporters the party was willing to consider a number of hopefuls before establishing a candidate for presidential elections in 2004, when President Vladimir Putin is expected to seek a second term.
The Communist Party remains the largest group in parliament with 127 of 450 seats and tops opinion polls with ratings of 20 to 35 percent but Zyuganov has been twice beaten in presidential polls, by Boris Yeltsin in 1996 and by Putin two years ago.
"Any candidate able to offer real opposition to the (Kremlin's) current destructive policies will be examined at the appropriate time and according to due process," Zyuganov said in televised comments. "I believe we should examine all proposals."
But he added: "So far, I see no one queuing up."
Banned at the end of the Soviet era, the Communist Party was resurrected by Zyuganov in the early years of the painful transition to market economics which cast millions into poverty.
The party, the only major political force in opposition to Putin, is still run on highly centralised principles and a meeting of the policy-making plenum on Saturday was held beind closed doors.
Moderates in recent months have objected to Zyuganov's hold over the party. Three top members, including parliament speaker Gennady Seleznyov, were excluded in May for refusing to obey a party order to leave their jobs in the State Duma lower house.
Party officials, speaking after Saturday's plenum, made no mention of the expulsions and pledged Communists would go into forthcoming parliamentary and presidential elections united with allied groups.
But on his way into the meeting, Zyuganov denied he had been heavy-handed with the dissidents.
"Have you ever heard me try to impose my viewpoint? Can you name a single issue on which I imposed my will and everyone simply carried out orders without discussion?" he said.
"We have a democratic organisation. All issues are discussed openly and collectively...This is utter stupidity.
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