POLAND: POLITICAL ACTIVITIES

Created: 1/21/1982

OCR scan of the original document, errors are possible

POLAND: Political Activities

therecontinuing evidence of passive resistance in the eastern oity of lublin. party leaders, meanwhile, are attemott to bring order to local party 0rganinations.

luction problems ana price increases are causing uneasiness among the workers, who have made negative comments about the treatment of those interned in prison camps and about the police and military. The general public also_ is^reported to have lost confidence in the military.

Comment: The problems in Lublin probably arethroughout the country. Although such grumbling is not likely to lead quickly to large-scale violence, the party probably will not be able to persuade workers to be more enthusiastic about its program of economic and political recovery. ^ ^

Lack of Party Discipline

The party leadership is trying to restore order within the lower ranks. The Politburo decided onanuary to send Politburo and Central Committeeto visit local partyith priority iiven to selected factory coeaaittees.

Many local party officials who have been on the defensive foronths are taking the opportunity to settle scores with those who humiliated them. Party secretary Orecchowakl, who reputedly has close ties with Premier Jaruzelsui, Inst week publicly condemned this practice. VJ

--continued

anuary2

Approved for Release Daisy

"pyr-tfrnt : the main goals of visiting party leaders may be to bring some order to the seemingly spontaneous purge of party ranks in many localities. The leadership apparently is concerned that the party is losing some good people. I

A Concerned Conssrvative

Kazimierzonservative partyxtensive contacts in the leadership, has coid baemmnmmnmwhjt one of the main advantages of martial law is that It allows the party to rebuild its strength and eliminate opportunists. Although Kakol realizes that martial law cannot accomplish anything positive, he worries that the party has yet to uniteoheront program.

Kakol also stressed the danger that the party will forget that the turbulence of the pastonths was caused by its lack of responsiveness to popular needs. Herogram of action, apparently devised by Deputy Premier Rakowski, that calls fororker-centered labor movement, and economic reforms. '

Commenti oncern about the party's future prospects and about the Importance of the lessons of the lastonths indicates that there is someamong the party leaders for continuing the "modest reforms begun after. His assertion that Rakowski hascourse of action" suggests that Rakowski isarger role than hisposition would normally allow. although Rakowski has shown that his "moderate" credentials have definite llsuVte, be generally has been considered not to be well liked by the Soviets.

erer

Weather's Impact

Poland'i unusually harsh winter has placed additional strains on the economy. Bad weather has on severalstalled rail and highway traffic, hampered trans-loading operations in the Baltic ports, and impeded movement of coal

North of Warsaw, flooding of river lowlands haa destroyed thousands of hectares of winter grains and has isolated rural residents. Forecasts indioate continued below-normal temperatures and greater-than-normalwell Into February.

Commenti The severe weather probably has helped dampen active resistance to the imposition of martial law. Zt also potentially provides an alibi for poor economic performance. The continuation of bad weather could affect leadership discussions of reform options by hindering accurate assessments_of passive resistance and its oosts to the economy.

Original document.

---

---