THE SOVIET CRISIS .sx How power trickle from the old guard became a torrent .sx By John Kampfner in Moscow .sx THE shake-up of political structures proposed yesterday by President Gorbachev and republican leaders is much more radical than the Kremlin chief had planned before the failed coup .sx In the old days , the Communist party reigned supreme .sx The government and parliament were rubber - stamping bodies .sx The leader of the country was the party General Secretary .sx He would meet the party Politburo , a group of 10 to 20 , usually once a week .sx The Politburo would make all major decisions on day-to-day government .sx It was answerable to the party Central Committee , up to 400-strong , which oversaw policy .sx The committee had the power to remove the General Secretary , which it did in the case of Nikita Khrushchev .sx It in turn was elected by a party congress which was usually convened every five years .sx The Supreme Soviet met twice a year to approve everything , while the Council of Ministers , up to 60-strong , enacted legislation .sx The 15 republics were completely subservient to the wishes of the centre .sx The Russian Federation did not have its own parliament , and basically existed only on paper .sx The first partly-free elections took place in 1989 .sx These were to the Congress of People's Deputies , a parliament of more than 2,000 deputies that was to meet twice a year to set the broad agenda .sx The Congress elected the new-look Supreme Soviet , which would sit permanently .sx Last year , as he became frustrated at the slow pace of parliament , Mr Gorbachev sought and gained special powers , to issue decrees and to make the Cabinet of Ministers ( the new trimmed-down government ) directly answerable to him .sx He appointed two advisory bodies , the Presidential Council - a kind of think-tank - and the Federation Council , comprising the heads of the 15 republics .sx He later replaced the Presidential Council with a Security Council to advise on national and international security .sx Meanwhile , the party continued to function much as it had always done .sx The republics were to form identical structures .sx It was Mr. Gorbachev's hope that they would receive a modicum of autonomy .sx The grand plan fell apart when the Baltic and other republics proclaimed their sovereignty , and when Mr Boris Yeltsin rose to power in the Russian Federation .sx Mr Yeltsin and republican leaders sought jurisdiction over their own affairs and natural resources .sx Mr Gorbachev finally obtained the agreement of nine republics on a Union Treaty which would devolve limited powers from the Kremlin .sx The failed coup , and Mr Yeltsin's leadership of the resistance , put paid to that .sx Mr Yeltsin stepped into the power vacuum , effectively taking over much of the running of the country's political and economic system .sx Eleven of the 15 republics have now declared some sort of independence .sx To prevent a complete break-up , Mr Gorbachev , Mr Yeltsin and other republican leaders have agreed to work out a radically different treaty , allowing the republics to determine their relationship with the remaining federal structures .sx In the interim , an Inter - republican Economic Committee will co-ordinate management of the economy .sx A State Council , comprising Mr Gorbachev and republican leaders , will work out joint approaches to security and foreign policy issues and run the armed forces .sx A Council of Representatives , comprising 20 deputies from each participating republic , will serve as an interim parliament .sx All the other central institutions are likely to fall by the wayside .sx Mr Gorbachev has , in effect , ceded joint control of the country to republican leaders .sx The terms of a future constitution and other longterm decisions will rest in collective hands for as long as the republics continue to acknowledge any role for federal authorities .sx black-circle Mr Douglas Hogg , Foreign Office Minister , begins a three-day visit to the Baltic states today , the first by a British minister or official for more than 50 years .sx Peace hopes as Serbs agree to ceasefire .sx EC mediators make breakthrough in Yugoslavian crisis .sx By Michael Montgomery in Belgrade and Boris Johnson in Brussels .sx EUROPEAN COMMUNITY attempts at mediation in Yogoslavia appeared finally to have paid off last night after Serbia unexpectedly agreed to a ceasefire and an EC-sponsored peace conference .sx Jubilant officials in The Hague , which holds the presidency of the Common Market , said the conference would be held in the Dutch capital " in the short term " , probably later this month .sx The breakthrough came after Mr Vladimir Jovanovic , the Serbian Foreign Minister , indicated Serbia's willingness to accept the EC terms on Saturday night , just as the Community-imposed deadline for agreement was to expire .sx Yugoslav leaders , including Mr Slobodan Milosevic , the Serbian President , were last night expected to put their signature to the EC plan .sx Mr Hans von den Broek , Dutch Foreign Minister , flew to Belgrade to settle the detailed terms of the cease-fire with the Yugoslav federal authorities and the leaders of individual republics , including Mr Milosevic .sx The plan calls for EC observers to monitor a ceasefire in Croatia , a peace conference of all parties to the conflict , and Western arbitration .sx Mr Jovanovic said the memorandum agreed on by the 12-nation Community last week " starts from good intentions , is reasonable , well balanced and does not favour any side " .sx But he rejected EC statements blaming Serbia and Serbian guerrillas in Croatia for the fighting .sx The " memorandum of understanding " will be similar to the Brioni accord , an EC spokesman said .sx That agreement , signed on a Yugoslav Adriatic island in July , contributed to a lasting ceasefire in Slovenia , which declared independence along with Croatia on June 25 .sx But as fighting between Serbs and Croats continued yesterday , causing heavy damage in several Croatian towns , there was deep concern that the new plan may face the same fate as earlier attempts to bring peace to Yugoslavia , which quickly collapsed in fresh violence .sx Belgrade television reported that the western Croatian town of Gospic was engulfed in flames after heavy clashes erupted between local Serbs and Croatian national guardsmen .sx It said the casualty figures were uncertain but were expected to be high .sx There were also more rebel mortar attacks reported in eastern Croatia , near the town of Vinkvoci .sx In a bizarre development , Zagreb and Ljubljana airports remained closed after Yugoslav army and Croatian forces fought a brief gun battle on Saturday over a plane carrying arms which were allegedly destined for Croatia .sx The fighting erupted after air force jets forced down two airliners heading for Slovenia under suspicion that they were carrying weapons .sx Croatian leaders yesterday expressed hope that the EC plan would eventually lead to recognition of their independence .sx In a gesture to Community heads , Croatian leaders at the weekend postponed plans for a full mobilisation of the population and other emergency measures .sx " A declaration of war at this time would not have positive international connotations , " said President Franjo Tudjman of Croatia .sx The Croatian government gave Mr Tudjman powers to declare wartime conditions " in the case of the widening of the war against Croatia " .sx Mr Tudjman's arch-rival , Mr Milosevic , already enjoys sweeping emergency powers in Serbia .sx Croatia has blamed Serbia and the Serb-dominated federal army for supporting a rebellion among the 600,000-strong Serb minority in the breakaway republic .sx More than 300 people have been killed since June .sx EC officials last week appeared to back Croatia by producing evidence of recent army bombardments of civilian targets in Croatia .sx In London , the Foreign Office was cautiously optimistic that the latest EC plan would work .sx Diplomats are too wary of Mr Milosevic's intentions to be certain that this is not merely another self-seeking manoeuvre .sx The most important Serbian concession is to allow EC observers to be sent into Croatia as well as Slovenia .sx The Serbian decision to come to terms appears to follow the EC ultimatum setting a deadline for agreement by yesterday .sx Major goes fishing for airport agreement .sx By Robert Hardman in Peking .sx JOHN MAJOR must be growing tired of fishing .sx A few days ago , he was trying to look happy as George Bush whisked him off on various fruitless speedboat missions to snare Kennebunkport's finest .sx Last night , on the other side of the globe , he found himself back on the water at Peking's special VIP residence , the Diaoyutai , which means " Catching Fish Platform " .sx Fortunately for Mr Major , no one was expecting a catch on this occasion .sx In fact , as an embassy official explained :sx " The Diaoyutai Lakes are full of rather special ornamental carp and there would be a serious diplomatic incident if anybody caught one .sx " This trip , though , is one of Mr Major's trickiest yet and the potential for diplomatic upset extends far beyond fishing rights .sx Downing Street knows that Tiananmen Square is marked indelibly on Western minds , but knows , equally , that Britain must secure the Hong Kong airport agreement to ensure confidence in the colony after 1997 .sx Since Peking realises just how much Britain needs the deal , it demanded that Mr Major - and his kudos as world leader - come in person to sign it .sx The prime Minister did his best to look glum as he stepped on to Peking's tarmac .sx But buoyed by his success in Moscow and with his tendency to smile when smiled at , he could not stifle a happy handshake with the welcoming party led by Mr Huang Yicheng , the Energy Minister .sx By the time his convoy had reached the Great Hall of the People in Tiananmen Square , via the same Avenue of Eternal Peace route chosen by the tanks in 1989 , he was managing a scowl .sx Here , he met Mr Li Peng , the Chinese Prime Minister .sx He kept his salutations to a " thank you " before an audience of three goose-stepping platoons , bayonets fixed , a gun battery and the Peking public behind barriers a quarter-of-a-mile away .sx Owen's 2 MPs to stay on after he quits .sx By Jonathan Petre , Political Staff .sx THE TWO MPs who stayed loyal to Dr David Owen following the merger of his Social Democrat party with the Liberals are expected to fight the next election under the independent Social Democrat banner , despite their former leader's decision to retire from the Commons .sx Mr John Cartwright , MP for Woolwich and former chief whip in the SDP , and Mrs Rosie Barnes , MP for Greenwich , have indicated to Dr Owen they will continue as Social Democrats , Mr Harold Luscombe , chairman of the Plymouth SDP , said yesterday .sx Dr Owen , one of the original " Gang of Four " who left the Labour party to establish the Social Democrats with the 1981 Limehouse Declaration , is to stand down as an MP for Plymouth , which he has represented for 25 years , at the next election .sx His announcement is certain to raise questions about the political survival of his two colleagues , who will find it increasingly difficult to hold on to their seats if they remain unattached to one of the mainstream parties .sx The news of his decision was followed by a call from Mr Charles Kennedy , president of the Liberal Democrats , for all Dr Owen's supporters to join their " natural political home " , the Liberal Democrats .sx Meanwhile , Dr Owen , 53 , said yesterday that he did not want to hang on at Westminster " like a fading pop star " .sx Mr Major expressed sorrow that Dr Owen , a former Labour Foreign Secretary , was leaving politics , and said that talks had taken place to see whether a deal could be struck under which Dr Owen would endorse the Tory party at the next election in return for it not running candidates against Mr Cartwright and Mrs Barnes .sx " Although David Owen is of a different party , I am sorry he is leaving the Commons , " Mr Major said .sx Dr Owen , who has represented Plymouth Devonport and previously Plymouth Sutton , has been dropping broad hints for some time that he might retire from the Commons at the next election .sx With the effective demise of the Social Democrats last year , his position appeared increasingly isolated , and he held talks with both Labour and the Tories to try to find a political home .sx " It is nice of people to say that I should stay on in politics , " he said on TV-am yesterday .sx " But I watch those politicians hanging around the corridors at Westminster like fading pop stars .sx I do not want to be that .sx " There are other things to do .sx " .sx