Zyuganov has gotta change his rhetoric. This worked in the Yeltsin era, not one of rising general living standards.
Russian Communist leader blasts Putin's economic policy November 19, 2002 AFP
Russian Communist leader Gennady Zyuganov, the strongest challenger to Vladimir Putin, has lauched a stinging attack on the president's policies, accusing him of kowtowing to Washington and leaving the country "in ruins".
Zyuganov, a distant also-ran behind Putin in the 2000 presidential election, lambasted the Russian president's economic policy late Monday after a one-on-one meeting between the two men at the Kremlin.
"I told the president that the government cannot cope with today's problems... that if the economic policy that is being pursued by the government is not radically changed shortly, we will have serious problems next year," Zyuganov told the Interfax news agency. The Communist party chief criticized the Russian economy's exaggerated dependence on oil exports and said he wanted the 2003 budget to be increased by 500 billion rubles (16 billion dollars, euros).
"The budget proposed by the government depends entirely on oil. If world oil prices drop tomorrow, we will not be able to avoid a (foreign debt) default and other catastrophes," Zyuganov said.
His comments came as Zyuganov tries to stage a political comeback in the wake of last month's Moscow theatre hostage crisis and ahead of legislative elections scheduled for late 2003 and a presidential vote in 2004.
Earlier Monday, the Communist leader criticized developments in Russia following the demise of the Soviet Union in 1991 and lashed out at Putin's leadership.
"Ten years of reforms and three years of Putin have left us in ruins," he said.
Zyuganov also blasted the Russian president's foreign policy.
"Putin has no policy toward the north, south, east or west -- he just goes with the flow (of Washington)", said Zyuganov.
"He gives up one thing after another (to the West) and he does so cynically. He has given up everything, while still trying to show the best side of his face to the public," he added.
Zyuganov has made such comments in the past but his latest assault echoes public confusion over the Russian leadership's role in the death of 128 civilians in last month's hostage crisis.
Most of the victims died as a result of a bid by Russian security forces to free some 800 people held captive in a Moscow theater by Chechen rebels.
While the Communists are the single largest party in the Duma, pro-Putin forces have united to form a dominant majority that has enabled the Kremlin agenda to sail through parliament, often without much debate.
Zyuganov's public rating has hovered near 20 percent for several years, while Putin has a popularity rating of over 70 percent.