Poland's embattled Communist Party voted itself out of existence Saturday to pave the way for a new socialist-oriented party, but it refused to disband altogether out of concern over the disposition of its vast assets.
The disarray characterizing the opening day of the party congress within the ornate Palace of Culture mirrored a melee outside where several hundred people chanting, "Down with communism," and "Communists should clean outhouses" were chased away by police using truncheons.About 60 police began checking identification cards, but eventually they put on helmets and chased the chanting crowd, which responded by throwing smoke grenades and stones.
Police also were used to break up an anti-communist protest in northwest Poland where 200 people marched through the center of the Baltic seaport of Szczecin chanting, "Down with communism," "Soviets go home," and "Bolsheviks to the morgue," the news agency PAP said.
Speakers called for free elections as soon as possible and criticized the Solidarity leaders who negotiated with the Communists.
Afterward a handful of youths marched to police headquarters where they threw smoke grenades and Molotov cocktails, prompting riot police to disperse them.
In Warsaw, about 1,600 delegates to the 11th and final congress of the communist Polish United Workers Party shouted down reformists and voted overwhelmingly to dissolve the party operations. There were only 79 votes against the move and 44 abstentions.
The delegates immediately voted to begin a founding congress for a new, socialist-oriented party made up of the same members, and resume the congress to adopt a decision on bequeathing its property to the new party.
Party spokesman Jan Bistyga called it "the biggest victory for the party" because the property issue is so crucial.
The extensive assets the Communist Party misappropriated after World War II, which include buildings, land, hunting lodges, a gigantic publishing concern and other properties, have prompted several occupations of regional and local party headquarters by independent activists demanding that the buildings be returned to the state.
In an opening speech, current party leader Mieczyslaw Rakowski, who took over as party leader from General Wojciech Jaruzelski six months ago, called for unity in the replacement party so it can take its proper place in Poland's budding democracy and declared he would not head the new party.
"We are bidding farewell to the Polish United Workers Party and we start to build a new party of the Polish left," Rakowski said. The PZPR is the official name of Poland's Communist Party.
Declaring himself in favor of a new "Social Democratic Party of Poland," he said the party should be prepared to compete in a new political climate.
"I believe that this party will reject any thought of a leading position and that it will declare commitment to the principles of pluralist democracy," he said.
Unlike the previous 10 congresses since the PZPR was formed in 1948, the atmosphere was subdued, reflecting the party's fall from power following its disastrous defeat in the June 1989 parliamentary elections.
This time no Communist Party "Internationale" followed the playing of the Polish national anthem and no Politburo members or Central Committee secretaries sat on stage facing the delegates.
Much of Rakowski's speech consisted of an apology for the party's repressive activities, particularly during the Stalinist period and the initial rise of Solidarity, which was crushed by martial law on Dec. 13, 1981.
In another twist, Rakowski blamed the 6-month-old Solidarity government for imposing economic hardships on the population made necessary by four decades of mismanagement and totalitarian rule.
The congress is to last three days, with Sunday and Monday dedicated to building a socialist-style party in the style of those of Western Europe.