POLAND: PARTY OPENLY SPLIT

Created: 6/11/1981

OCR scan of the original document, errors are possible

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POLAND: Party Openly Split

The political criei* in Poland ham greatly intensifiedesult of the Utter debate at the too-day Central Committee plenum. Parti, leader Kania and the moderates backing him still seem to be tn control, but attacks by the hardliners will continue. The Sc-viete must be dissatisfied with the outcome of the plenum and will increase political and military pressure on Poland. This likely will include new Warsaw Pact exurcipeo.

Moderates backing Kania yesterday rebuffed efforts by hardliners to force his resignation and postpone the party congress. Jn this narrow sense, the moderates prevailed. Themost important in Poland sincewithout personnel changes, but ths polarisation within the top party leadership la greater than ever. It is likely that tha weeka leading up to the congress, scheduled to beginuly, will bechaotic. UM)

gress.

In the long and raucous debates, the conservatives accused Kania of being unable to lead the country out of ita current criaia, castigated his repeatedto Solidarity, and called into question his policy of seeking only political solutions to problems. They also sharply criticised the party's loss of control of theits own daily paper--and expressed deep concern about the preparations for the party con-

Supporters of Kania'a moderate reformist policies counterattacked, buternhTs of the Centralseemed intent oninal showdown. The members probably calculated that to oust Kania andhimardliner would lead to open rebellion from tha party's rank and file. On the other hand, to oust the conservatives, who have Moscow's support, woulduick confrontation with the Kremlin. $jb}

The moderates may take satisfaction in the outcome of the meeting since they are well aware that theare losing badly in the elections for delegates

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for the congress and will not ba returned to the The conservatives, knowing thsy have little to lose, may try again toonfrontation andof the congress. MM

Kania's personal victory may not be long lived. He nas been criticized by moderates for being too passive,ew Centralbe elected at theturnore dynamic leader who could more effectively control and guide the pressures for reform, fffg

Likely Soviet Reaction

Moscow, after going to extraordinary lengths to impress upon the Polish party the need to take immediate and decisive action against liberalization, is undoubtedly dissatisfied with tha outcome. The Soviet media have remained unusually silent on the plenum. MM

.. laying one of its strongest politicalthe letter to the Polish Central Committee, which was broadcast over Polish national television lastKremlin's credibility is on the line as never before. If the status quo essentially prevails in Poland aftertern warning, the Soviets would risk being shown as impotent in the face of Polish -renewal." mm

Moacow is now almost certain to step up itson Warsaw to postpone the congress, especiallyasia thearty continue to fall to get elocted as delegates to the congress. arsaw Pact summit and Pact military maneuvers in or around Poland before the congress appear more and more likely. MM

The only solace Moscow can take from the plenum is the fact that many Central Committee members spoke out firmly in support of the arguments in the Soviet letter. By forcing the issue, the Soviets may have jolted some party members who had earlierow profile if openly throwing in their lot with Moscow.

Original document.

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