The Communist Party of the Soviet Union (Russian: Коммунистическая Партия Советского Союза, Kommunisticheskaya Partiya Sovetskogo Soyuza; short: КПСС, KPSS) 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 the Union of Belarus and Russia. It had been led by Shenin until his death in May 2009.
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Background
Following the collapse of the Soviet Union in 1991, various communist organizations re-emerged in former Soviet republics. As such, a 29th congress of the "Communist Party of the Soviet Union" (UCP-CPSU) was held from March 26-27 1993. The organization simultaneous presented itself as the organizational successor to the CPSU, as well as a coordinating body for post-independence communist parties. The organization was led by Oleg Shenin, a principal conspirator in the 1991 Soviet coup attempt.
Shenin wanted the group to develop into the nucleus of an all-Union communist party that would possess centralized discipline, a common political line and authority over its national organizations. Gennady Zyuganov, and the leadership of the Communist Party of the Russian Federation (CPRF), however, favored retaining its status as a loose coordinating body.
Shenin and the UCP-CPSU plenum authorized on January 29, 2000, the merger between the CPRF and the Communist Party of Belarus (CPB) into a unified Union State communist party. On 15 July 2000 the Communist Party of the Union of Russia and Belarus held its founding congress and elected Shenin as its chairman. However, Zyuganov and the CPRF rejected this merger, insisting that Shenin had acted without proper authorization and his actions where null and void. The CPB also refused to approve this merger, which Shenin claimed was due to pressure from the CPRF.
Shenin survived a vote of no confidence on 28 October 2000 before calling the 32nd Congress of the UCP-CPSU on 15 January 2001 during which, on 20 January, Shenin was removed from office and Zyuganov elected in his place. Shenin, meanwhile, rejected this, arguing that the 32nd Congress never reached quorum and therefore his removal was invalid.
Leaders
Oleg Shenin (21 July 2001 – 28 May 2009; as Chairman)
Vladimir Berezin (20 March–16 July 2010; as First Secretary)
Sergey Alexandrov (acting 21 July 2010; official from 20 November 2010–present)