Communist Party of Estonia (1990)
Encyclopedia
Communist Party of Estonia (in Estonian
: Eestimaa Kommunistlik Partei, in Russian
: Kommunisticheskaya Partiya Estonii) is a political party
in Estonia
. The party, initially known as Communist Party of Estonia (on CPSU platform) (EKP(NLKP platvormil), and was formed in 1990 through a split in the original EKP
. The split occurred at the 20th congress of EKP in March 1990, as a reaction against the decision of the congress to separate EKP from the Communist Party of the Soviet Union
. Immediately after the independence decision of EKP, the pro-Soviet delegates left the congress venue. The convened their own rival 20th congress on March 26, 1990. EKP(NLKP platvormil) elected its own Central Committee
, headed by its First Secretary Alexander Gusev, and would function as a separate party from EKP.
The party was often perceived, along with Intermovement
, as representing the resistance of the Russian
population in Estonia against independence. However unlike the split in the Communist Party of Latvia
, the split in EKP did not follow ethnic lines. A study on the electoral patterns of the 1990 Estonian Supreme Soviet election
showed that the EKP(NLKP platvormil) candidates had a support of just 13.3% of the non-Estonian voters. Notably, when the split in EKP occurred in 1990 party units in Russian-dominated town like Narva
, Sillamäe
and Kohtla-Järve
decided to retain their membership in EKP rather than joining EKP(NLKP platvormil).
Unlike the analogous split in the Communist Party of Latvia, EKP(NLKP platvormil) failed to gain control over any major portion of the resources and personnel of the EKP after the split.
On June 20, 1990 the name of the party was changed to Communist Party of Estonia (CPSU) (EKP(NLKP).
EKP (NLKP) held its 21st Party Congress in the fall of 1990 (counting the twenty party congresses of EKP as theirs). The congress elected an Estonian, Lembit Annus, as the new First Secretary. With the new leadership followed a less confrontational approach that its Latvian counterpart. In April 1991 Annus expressed willingness to enter a coalition government in Estonia.
Parallel to the March 3, 1991 referendum on Estonian independence, the party organized a referendum of its own. The vote took place in the cities Kohtla-Järve, Sillamäe and Narva. The question of the referendum was "Do you want the sovereign Estonia to remain within the composition of the USSR?". Unlike the main referendum, all residents (including Soviet troops) could take part. Only the results from Sillamäe were made public, with a turnout of 83%. 89% of the voters in Sillamäe had voted yes in the referendum.
The party supported the August 1991 coup. Following the defeat of the coup, the party was declared illegal by the Estonian government on August 22, 1991. At the time Central Committee
secretary of the party was Pavel Panfilov.
Reportedly, a very small group of former members carried on their cause, initially their grouping was affiliated with the Union of Communist Parties - Communist Party of the Soviet Union (SKP-KPSS), but when SKP-KPSS split in 2001 they joined the Communist Party of the Soviet Union
of Oleg Shenin
. The party carried out a congress in 1999, and elected a Central Committee.
Estonian language
Estonian is the official language of Estonia, spoken by about 1.1 million people in Estonia and tens of thousands in various émigré communities...
: Eestimaa Kommunistlik Partei, in Russian
Russian language
Russian is a Slavic language used primarily in Russia, Belarus, Uzbekistan, Kazakhstan, Tajikistan and Kyrgyzstan. It is an unofficial but widely spoken language in Ukraine, Moldova, Latvia, Turkmenistan and Estonia and, to a lesser extent, the other countries that were once constituent republics...
: Kommunisticheskaya Partiya Estonii) is a political party
Political party
A political party is a political organization that typically seeks to influence government policy, usually by nominating their own candidates and trying to seat them in political office. Parties participate in electoral campaigns, educational outreach or protest actions...
in Estonia
Estonia
Estonia , officially the Republic of Estonia , is a state in the Baltic region of Northern Europe. It is bordered to the north by the Gulf of Finland, to the west by the Baltic Sea, to the south by Latvia , and to the east by Lake Peipsi and the Russian Federation . Across the Baltic Sea lies...
. The party, initially known as Communist Party of Estonia (on CPSU platform) (EKP(NLKP platvormil), and was formed in 1990 through a split in the original EKP
Communist Party of Estonia
Communist Party of Estonia was a political party in Estonia.EKP was formed November 5, 1920, as the Central Committee of the Estonian Sections of the Russian Communist Party was separated from its mother party. During the first half of 1920s the hopes to an immediate world revolution were still...
. The split occurred at the 20th congress of EKP in March 1990, as a reaction against the decision of the congress to separate EKP from the Communist Party of the Soviet Union
Communist Party of the Soviet Union
The Communist Party of the Soviet Union was the only legal, ruling political party in the Soviet Union and one of the largest communist organizations in the world...
. Immediately after the independence decision of EKP, the pro-Soviet delegates left the congress venue. The convened their own rival 20th congress on March 26, 1990. EKP(NLKP platvormil) elected its own Central Committee
Central Committee
Central Committee was the common designation of a standing administrative body of communist parties, analogous to a board of directors, whether ruling or non-ruling in the twentieth century and of the surviving, mostly Trotskyist, states in the early twenty first. In such party organizations the...
, headed by its First Secretary Alexander Gusev, and would function as a separate party from EKP.
The party was often perceived, along with Intermovement
Intermovement
The Intermovement was a political movement and organisation in the Estonian SSR. It was founded on 19 July 1988 and claimed by different sources 16,000 - 100,000 members...
, as representing the resistance of the Russian
Russians
The Russian people are an East Slavic ethnic group native to Russia, speaking the Russian language and primarily living in Russia and neighboring countries....
population in Estonia against independence. However unlike the split in the Communist Party of Latvia
Communist Party of Latvia
Communist Party of Latvia was a political party in Latvia.- Latvian Social-Democracy prior to 1919 :The party was founded at a congress in June 1904. Initially the party was known as the Latvian Social Democratic Workers' Party . During its second party congress in 1905 it adopted the programme of...
, the split in EKP did not follow ethnic lines. A study on the electoral patterns of the 1990 Estonian Supreme Soviet election
Estonian Supreme Soviet election, 1990
Legislative elections were held in the Estonian SSR on March 18, 1990. It was the first free parliamentary election in Estonia since 1930s. A total of 105 deputies were elected to the Supreme Soviet of the Estonian SSR, of which 4 were from military districts. Altogether 392 candidates competed for...
showed that the EKP(NLKP platvormil) candidates had a support of just 13.3% of the non-Estonian voters. Notably, when the split in EKP occurred in 1990 party units in Russian-dominated town like Narva
Narva
Narva is the third largest city in Estonia. It is located at the eastern extreme point of Estonia, by the Russian border, on the Narva River which drains Lake Peipus.-Early history:...
, Sillamäe
Sillamäe
Sillamäe is a town in Ida-Viru County in the northern part of Estonia, on the southern coast of the Gulf of Finland. It has a population of 16,183 and covers an area of 10.54 km²...
and Kohtla-Järve
Kohtla-Järve
Kohtla-Järve is a city and municipality in north-eastern Estonia, founded in 1924 and incorporated as a town in 1946. The city is highly industrial, and is both a processor of oil shales and is a large producer of various petroleum products. The city is also very diverse ethnically: it contains...
decided to retain their membership in EKP rather than joining EKP(NLKP platvormil).
Unlike the analogous split in the Communist Party of Latvia, EKP(NLKP platvormil) failed to gain control over any major portion of the resources and personnel of the EKP after the split.
On June 20, 1990 the name of the party was changed to Communist Party of Estonia (CPSU) (EKP(NLKP).
EKP (NLKP) held its 21st Party Congress in the fall of 1990 (counting the twenty party congresses of EKP as theirs). The congress elected an Estonian, Lembit Annus, as the new First Secretary. With the new leadership followed a less confrontational approach that its Latvian counterpart. In April 1991 Annus expressed willingness to enter a coalition government in Estonia.
Parallel to the March 3, 1991 referendum on Estonian independence, the party organized a referendum of its own. The vote took place in the cities Kohtla-Järve, Sillamäe and Narva. The question of the referendum was "Do you want the sovereign Estonia to remain within the composition of the USSR?". Unlike the main referendum, all residents (including Soviet troops) could take part. Only the results from Sillamäe were made public, with a turnout of 83%. 89% of the voters in Sillamäe had voted yes in the referendum.
The party supported the August 1991 coup. Following the defeat of the coup, the party was declared illegal by the Estonian government on August 22, 1991. At the time Central Committee
Central Committee
Central Committee was the common designation of a standing administrative body of communist parties, analogous to a board of directors, whether ruling or non-ruling in the twentieth century and of the surviving, mostly Trotskyist, states in the early twenty first. In such party organizations the...
secretary of the party was Pavel Panfilov.
Reportedly, a very small group of former members carried on their cause, initially their grouping was affiliated with the Union of Communist Parties - Communist Party of the Soviet Union (SKP-KPSS), but when SKP-KPSS split in 2001 they joined the Communist Party of the Soviet Union
Communist Party of the Soviet Union (Shenin)
The Communist Party of the Soviet Union is an organization which split from the Union of Communist Parties — Communist Party of the Soviet Union in 2001 after disagreements between Oleg Shenin and Gennady Zyuganov over the creation of a united Communist Party of Russia and Belarus...
of Oleg Shenin
Oleg Shenin
Oleg Semyonovich Shenin was the leader of the Communist Party of the Soviet Union , which should not be confused with the larger UCP-CPSU....
. The party carried out a congress in 1999, and elected a Central Committee.