Konstantin Borovoi, a member of the Russian Parliament and chairman of the Economic Freedom party, described economic hardship and the communist agenda yesterday to about 80 people at the Tuck School of Business Administration.
Borovoi began his discussion by describing a recent vote by the communist party in the Russian Parliament.
"They voted for a law to reconstruct the former Soviet Union," he said. "The communists showed what they really wanted. The law does not work because it hasn't been signed by the upper house or the President."
"The communists moved too quickly," he continued. "And election campaigns lost 20 percent of voters because the law scared" them.
This law, Borovoi said, demonstrated the open and hidden agenda of the communists after the elections.
The discussion then turned to questions from International Business Professor Joseph Massey and Government Professor Tom Nichols, who were moderating the discussion. They questioned Borovoi about the possibility of a communist victory in the upcoming election, about civil war and about Chechnya.
When asked about the communists, Borovoi responded, "They have made it very clear they want to rebuild everything about the Soviet Union. They want to destroy the presidential position and restore the ... Supreme Soviet. These are very old fashioned people who are not experienced."
"This is a dangerous situation," Borovoi emphasized. "Communist support is 30 percent but that is mostly people over 55 to 60. Support will be about 20 percent in a few years. This is the communist's last chance to take power."
Borovoi warned that a military coup is a possible scenario. He noted Russia's strategic military importance.
"The 3,000 nuclear missiles are a problem," he said. "Otherwise everyone would not care if Russia went to communism."
Borovoi described his visit to the College as, "a short rest."
"It is better and more restful to talk to a room full of professors than to a room full of communists asking questions like: 'is it normal for people to own their own property?'" he said.
An audience consisting largely of business school professors packed the auditorium at the General Motors Room in the Tuck School. The Tuck School's Whittemore Center for International Business sponsored his visit.
