Roanoke Times
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: THURSDAY, February 7, 1991 TAG: 9102070375
SECTION: NATIONAL/INTERNATIONAL PAGE: A-2 EDITION: METRO
SOURCE: Associated Press
DATELINE: MOSCOW LENGTH: Medium
"All my convictions are based on preservation of the union," the Soviet president said.
"The Soviet Union is a superpower," he said. "Huge efforts were made to make it so powerful, and we could lose it very quickly."
It was Gorbachev's clearest declaration to date that he will not let any of the 15 republics secede. While acknowledging that areas were brought into the union by force, he said the fate of all now depends on remaining in a common economic system.
In a speech that mixed warnings of catastrophe with promises of ethnic self-determination, Gorbachev showed his frustration with dozens of nationalist movements that he said had sapped the country's economy, left hundreds dead in ethnic conflicts, and spurred a shift to hard-line policies.
He did not, however, threaten specific action against secessionist republics. He said only that lawmakers should ensure everybody has the chance to vote in a Kremlin-ordered referendum March 17 on preserving the union.
The speech came nearly four weeks after a military crackdown in the Baltics that has left 21 dead. Gorbachev has disclaimed any role in the bloodshed, but has not stifled charges that his government was heading toward harsh military rule.
Pro-independence Lithuanians are to hold a non-binding poll on independence on Saturday. Gorbachev urged Soviets to reject such alternative ballots and take part in the nationwide referendum.
"Everybody should understand that in fact we are speaking about the destiny of our state and each ethnic group, about our common destiny," he said.
He confidently said most Soviets will support the union. He apparently based his judgment on a Communist Party survey announced Wednesday in which three-quarters said they would support the union.
All 15 republics have declared greater sovereignty over their own affairs, and many have demanded firm recognition by the Kremlin before agreeing to sign Gorbachev's proposed new Union Treaty.
"The main thing in the concept of the renewal of the union is, above all, sovereignty of the republics, which are subjects of a federation that ensures the right of each people to self-determination and self-government," he said.
At the same time, he warned that "those who decide to separate themselves from this powerful cultural mass will be deprived and will lose everything."
by CNB