Experts Consider Future of Chernenko

The rise to power of the new Soviet leader, Konstantin signals a return to power of a corrupt bureaucratic several leading Harvard Sovietologists agreed last night.

The experts said that the former chief of government. Yuti V Andropov, had made strides in curbing the corruption in the Communist Party and a start in revitalizing the economy, but that these steps could now be reversed under the new Soviet leadership.

"They selected the man who was satest least likely to rock the boat," said Adam B Ulam, director of Harvard's Russian Research Center and one of four panelists who spoke before a crowd of about 75 in Emerson Hall.

Ulam was joined by Board Professors of History Richard Pipes, Associate Director of the Russian Research Center Marshall I Goldman, and Assistant Professor of Government Mark Beissinger.

Pessimism

The four gave a generally pessimistic over view of the Soviet government's internal situation, describing a country wracked by corruption and a stagnant economy.

Beissinger described what he called the Soviets evolution towards a self stabilizing "oligarchy."

"We're in an age of oligarchy," he said "The system works without an individual leader. The General Secretary may set the agenda for the Polibufo, but the whole group makes the decisions."

It is within the context of this self-per-petuating oligarchy's development that Chernenko, once former leader I could I Brezhnev's right hand man, rose to power, the experts agreed.

More Corruption

While Andropov load tried to break the cycle of Compton that has characterized struggle lapse, said Pipes, formerly the chief adviser on Soviet affairs on President Reagan's National Security Council.

"They have been appointing increasingly weaker leaders," he said "They dread nothing more than a strong leader."

Goldman, a widely noted expert on the Soviet economy said that in running the country, Chernenko will probably "tall back on cronies."

Andropos purged much of the corruption in the Soviet economy he said But what can you do for an encore Chernenko must make the economy more responsive, he added.