Gorbachev: 20th Communist Congress was key to democracy

        The 20th Congress of the CommunistParty of  the  Soviet  Union,  which  is  especially  known  for  NikitaKhrushchev's  secret  speech  denouncing  the  policies of then-recently deceased  Soviet  leader  Joseph Stalin, was a precursor of perestroika,Former Soviet  President Mikhail Gorbachev told journalists ahead of the forum's 50th anniversary, to be  celebrated on Wednesday.
     "It  was  an  incredibly important event that predetermined most of the subsequent  processes  in  our country. In my opinion, this congress and perestroika  are  linked.  I  do  not  think  that  a  concept  like perestroika could have appeared without it," he said.
     However,  Russian society remains divided on both events, Gorbachev said.
     "Some  people believe that this congress was the dawn of liberation from Stalinism  as  a  totalitarian  foundation of society, while others refer to   it  as  the  congress  of  traitors.  Many  people  also  see perestroika as a betrayal," he said.
     "It  would  be  wrong  to  say that the congress was important only because it denounced Stalin," the former Soviet president said.
     "The  20th Congress addressed not only the cult of personality, but also democratic  problems  and  ways  to  manage the country," Gorbachev said.

Interfax, February 14, 2006