Proposals of the Central Committee of the Romanian Communist Party on Improving the Organization and Democratizing the Activities of the Warsaw Pact Organs

Proposals Of The Central Committee Of The Romanian Communist Party

On Improving The Organization And Democratizing

The Activities Of The Warsaw Pact Organs

Formulating these proposals, we bore in mind the changes that have taken place in international life, the special accent which our socialist countries place on problems of disarmament, on détente and on collaboration in Europe and in the entire world, including on the creation of the conditions for achieving as soon as possible the simultaneous dissolution of NATO and the Warsaw Pact. We believe it necessary that, at the upcoming meeting of the Political Consultative Committee, we discuss and adopt a series of measures for reorganizing and improving the leadership activity of the Warsaw Pact.

The Central Committee of the Romanian Communist Party judges the current mode of functioning of the Political Consultative Committee of the states participating in the Warsaw Pact as unilateral; it is more oriented towards military issues and it creates the impression that the preoccupations of our party leaderships and of our countries are primarily tied to these issues, that they have a preponderantly military character.

Given the above, the Central Committee of the Romanian Communist Party wishes to consult with you about the following proposals, which it intends to present at the upcoming meetings in Warsaw.

1. The reorganization of the Political Consultative Committee of the Warsaw Pact, in the sense of renouncing its current orientation towards military problems and the creation of a Political Consultative Committee of European socialist states, which should not be tied to the Warsaw Pact – which has a military aim -, but should be a Committee that assures, principally, the multilateral collaboration of our parties and states in the political and economic domain. In this spirit, the Political Consultative Committee should be oriented especially towards activity for the raising and discussion of the fundamental, essential problems of socialist construction in our countries, of working together towards the goal of socio-economic development, of raising the standard of living and the standard of civilization of our peoples, of strengthening socialist democracy, and the forces of socialism and peace in general, and – in this context – of assuring the defensive capacity of the socialist countries. This Committee – which would preserve the same composition – should be, at the same time, open to any European socialist state that desires to participate in its activity.

2. A Military Defense Committee should be created – as the military organ of the Pact -, which should be constituted of the defense ministers from each of the Pact’s participating countries, having the obligation to report to their respective governments and Supreme Commands of their countries.

3. In view of strengthening the democratic character of the Political Consultative Council of the European socialist states, we propose that it develop its activities on the basis of an annually rotating presidency.

Likewise, the presidents of the Military Defense Committee should develop their activity through annual rotation, the presidency being assured by each of the countries participating in this organ.

4. Similarly, we consider it necessary that, in contrast to the current provisions of the Statute, which establish that the naming of the Commander-in-Chief should be made for a period of 4-6 years, in the future this function should be made every two years, or even annually, through rotation, from the ranks of the senior officers of the member states. In this sense, it could be considered that the naming of the Commander-in-Chief could be made from the ranks of his deputies, or from other officers, designated by the government of their respective countries, for this function.

5. The function of the Chief of the General Staff is foreseen, as it has been up till now, for a period of 4.6 years. The naming of the Chief of the General Staff, for multiple terms, from among the ranks of Soviet officers could be considered, if the governments of the other states will agree.

-- It is necessary, at the same time, to improve the organization and the functioning of the other military organisms.

The Central Committee of the Romanian Communist Party appreciates that the adoption of these proposals will strengthen even more the multilateral collaboration of our parties and our countries, in the implementation of the national plans and programs for socio-economic development, in increasing the force and the prestige of socialism in the world, as well as in the struggle for disarmament, security and peace.

8 July 1988