Download as PDF

Reports from Africa

Egypt (RCP)

Dear friends and comrades,

Revolutionary red salutes

The dire crises that the Egyptian people are experiencing today at all economic, political and social levels are a direct result of the policies of the new old autocratic rule embodied in the head of the ruling authority and its military and security arms. These crises are manifested in:

1. Absence of political and social freedoms:

The ruling class, with its main wings represented by brokers of the nation’s resources under the name of the National Service and the projects of the Engineering Authority of the Armed Forces and its security and military bodies, close the democratic field and deliberately dry up the sources of political life with repressive fascist measures that are not different from any fascist regimes known in history, so they continue to prevent protest from the source for any reason, even if it is not political, For example, the Egyptian people’s objections to some of the regime’s actions are faced with a repressive machine and sent to military trials, as the majority of the Egyptian people suffer from many crises and this prompts them to talk about those crises that they face among each other, whether in cafes, transportation or even in their homes, but As soon as the security services know this, they face fiercely and arrest the speaker and the listener and direct the most severe accusations against them. The security services have their spies everywhere, and all this happens under the guise of misleading media for the masses of the Egyptian people in order to deprive these objectors of any popular sympathy with their just social causes.

The forces of repression and their research apparatus, represented by the National Security and General and Military Intelligence, fabricate charges, arbitrary detention, enforced disappearance, and arrest people from their homes in return to the phenomenon of the Dawn visitors, which the regime did not essentially stop practicing, then claiming that they belong to a terrorist organization after preparing the false scenario for that repeated story. knowledge of these devices.

Moreover, this regime, which claims to fight terrorism, is the most severe of terrorists, as it deprives the masses of their social and political organizations under any name. In fact, this regime has even gone to the extent of banning media professionals and writers who dared to criticize - timidly - some of the economic and social policies adopted by the regime.

2. The economic crisis and the policies of borrowing and selling the home:

This regime, in order to satisfy its despicable purposes, made the deal of the so-called Ethiopian Renaissance Dam in flagrant defiance of the will of the Egyptian people. The countries that support the project of the Renaissance Dam project with this military government in Egypt, but it is against the will of the Egyptian people and a usurpation of their rights in one of the most important resources of the country in which they live and pay dearly and preciously for it and sacrifice their lives for the rise of the Egypt they love, not the one ruled by the military

Then comes the naivety of the masses to play the laws and defend the right to the waters of the Nile through the sympathy of the masters of this regime in some of the so-called great countries, and the head of the Egyptian regime was satisfied that he made “Abi Ahmed” the Prime Minister of Ethiopia take an oath that he would not harm Egypt, all in parallel With the prohibition of any protests, demonstrations, or activities by the Egyptian people, in rejection of the Ethiopian dam agreements that the regime has concluded with Abi Ahmed, and demanding their historical right to the waters of the Nile.

The regime resorted to its parliament formed by the Military Intelligence Department to pass the agreement, and it is no wonder, as it is the parliament of the power and the ruling class and not the parliament of the people.

In addition, the regime resorted to foreign aid, international and regional loans and borrowing, which led to the implementation of policies of deliberate impoverishment of the masses of the Egyptian people, accompanied by the sale of the public sector and the privatization of state service and production institutions such as health and education, and the lifting of mainly meager subsidies on fuel and basic commodities, which led to an insane rise in food prices. Medicine, electricity, water, and all that keeps the Egyptian people on the subsistence limit accordingly, and even the prices of food, medicine, electricity and water have exceeded international prices, and there are still more austerity measures “for the working people and the poor.”

This regime preaches to us through its ministers and officials, those measures that lead to the implementation of the genocidal policies of the masses of the Egyptian people at all levels, in a crime no less than the crime of Hitler's fascism towards the peoples.

Rather, this fascist military regime sends the sons of the poor, forcibly recruited under the name of serving the homeland, to build bridges, roads, facilities and projects that benefit mainly capitalism and the private sector, in a clear challenge from the regime to the Egyptian people who want to live a decent life instead of deliberate impoverishment and starvation, spreading epidemics and diseases, arresting civilians and closing Factories and the displacement of workers, in the context of turning these Egyptian conscripts into mercenaries in the service of the Zionist-American Gulf capitalist project.

The regime, which claims its ambition to build a modern democratic state, controls, with its military, security and intelligence institutions, more than 70% of the nation's economy and assigns direct orders to its companies construction, internal trade and all projects, and even service and entertainment activities, and subcontracts business to companies owned by its current and retired generals. He appoints his men from the generals and former officers to executive positions, such as governors, heads of local councils, and service companies such as electricity, water and sewage, and public business sector companies.

3. Responsibility for enlightenment and the regime’s claim to combat terrorism intellectually and security:

This regime, which buzzes in its foreign discourse under the pretense of fighting terrorism intellectually, is in fact the first sponsor of terrorism at the intellectual level. It cuts billions from the budget of the poor to fund reactionary religious institutions, especially Al-Azhar - the main incubator of terrorist thought - to make a popular backer for it to pacify the Egyptian people and preoccupy it with myths and myths. Hoping to distract him from his social and economic rights, in blatant defiance of the masses of the Egyptian people, who in turn dropped these religious groups from their mentality in the second intifada on June 30.

This regime, which claims the intellectual confrontation of terrorism, prevents any criticism of the reactionary religious institutions and their rotten ideas, and sends intellectuals and writers to prison on charges of blasphemy, insulting heritage and insulting sanctities in a scene not different from the Inquisition in the Middle Ages.

4. Our responsibility and role towards the country and the people:

In light of the foregoing and our belief in Marxism-Leninism and in fulfillment of the great socialist heritage, it was necessary for us to go to the masses to raise awareness and organize them, despite the revolutionary root and unprecedented repression experienced by the political climate. This is a fascist military regime, and despite our lack of capabilities and an unprecedented security siege, we have not and will not hesitate to participate in the popular rejection of this system from a progressive class standpoint, leading to the building of the Bolshevik Party in order to be the vanguard of the masses in the change.

Long live the Communist International!

Long live the struggle of the communists!

Kongo (ORC) (30.09.21)

Depuis plus qu'un an le point qui fait débat au Congo est celui du bilan sur l'alternance politique faite entre l'ancien et le nouveau président en décembre 2018. Cette alternance a été concrétisée par une coalition qui devait diriger le pays pour un nouveau mandat de cinq ans. Deux ans après, cette coalition avait volé en éclats, où il n'était pas possible d'appliquer aucune mesure sérieuse de gestion à la hauteur de la situation de crise. Le nouveau président à dénoncé cette coalition et a appelé, à en faire une autre. Celle-ci s'est constitué en donnant une majorité parlementaire à l'actuel président qu'il n'avait pas auparavant. Avec cette particularité qu'il y a eu un changement de majorité sans avoir organisé de nouvelles élections. Cela montre qu'au Congo, les élections et les représentants de ce corps électoral n'ont aucune assise sociologique solide. Malgré tout, dans l'opinion, cela avait suscité un brin d'espoir. Les gens s'imaginaient qu'il allait y avoir de nouvelles politiques pour se pencher réellement sur la résolution de la crise générale. Parmi lesquelles, la réorganisation notamment les pouvoirs publics à tous les niveaux et, afin s'attaquer aux vrais problèmes qui plombent la vie des millions des personnes. Comme il fallait s'y attendre, la nouvelle coalition truffée de mêmes politiciens, habitués à la corruption et au détournement, n'ont pas su garder longtemps une discipline, nécessaire pour des actions salutaires. Ils sont vite retombés dans les mêmes pratiques de la bourgeoisie bureaucratique. A ces effets dramatiques de la crise récurrente sont venus s'ajouter ceux de la crise sanitaire due à la pandémie de la Covid. L'absence d'une mobilisation générale, montre bien qu'on est là, en face d'une bande de la bourgeoisie bureaucratique et compradore, totalement déconnectée de la réalité. La seule chose qui leur préoccupe est de se positionner de nouveau dans les institutions de l'Etat néocolonial, l'instrument des multinationales pour organiser le pillage systématique des minerais. Dans le but de divertir des masses, ils ont déjà entamé le refrain des élections de 2023 pour créer de nouveau les espoirs au niveau des masses, évidement fondés sur rien. Dans tout cela, les politiciens véreux ne peuvent que compter sur leur allié de taille, la pauvreté des masses et le bas niveau culturel, qui favorisent le succès de la manipulation.

La situation socioculturelle est en général chaotique, et hors contrôle dans la plupart des secteurs d'activités. Parallèlement, les réactions des masses en terme de manifestation d'indignation sont à peine perceptibles. Une situation qui peut s'expliquer, à la fois du au déficit criard des infrastructures de communication et, aussi à l'encadrement très limité des personnes qui sont victimes de la situation. Néanmoins, ça et là, il y a de grèves des enseignants, du personnel soignant et d'autres mouvements de grèves dans les différentes cités. Toutefois, ce mouvement comparativement à la gravité de la situation est de loin en deçà de ce qu'il en pouvait être. Mais, l'expression visible de la misère réside dans la surpopulation des camps de déplacés dus aux conflits armés, de salles des églises, et aussi dans les prisons qui sont des mouroirs certains pour les plus démunis.

Dans ce contexte de chaos général, l'ORC qui est une organisation en construction, ne peut que voir son développement rencontrer des innombrables obstacles. Il faut considérer que la construction de chaque organisation doit se réaliser dans les conditions spécifiques qui sont les siennes de par son son environnement et de son époque. Le Congo a, après tout, la dimension de sous-continent, et qui a vu s'effondrer tout son tissu économique et même social. Il est un exemple le plus spectaculaire de la crise néocoloniale. Cela oblige à avoir les capacités à la fois à saisir la complexité de particularisme de ce pays et aussi les ressemblances qu'il a avec les différentes luttes de la classe ouvrière au niveau planétaire et de luttes des peuples opprimés de partout. Les échanges qui se font à travers dans ces rencontres d'Icor viennent à point nommé pour renforcer ces capacités.

South Africa (CPSA/ML)

Dear comrades

South Africa is a neo-colonialist government which is the servant of the international monopolies, big local monopolies and land-lords. It continues with the neo-apartheid system and because of this system the black people do not have the same status as their white counter-parts at some of the institutions and businesses.

The ANC-led government neglects the interests of the poor masses who sacrificed and dedicated their lives fighting for the liberation of South Africa against the racist minority regime and imperialist domination. The working class and poor peasants are subjected to the extreme and untold poverty by this government. Since the advent of the so called democratic elections A.N.C presidents from Mandela to Cyril Ramaphosa are making empting jobs promises which they know that they will never full-fill. For, example promises of creating jobs are false because the same government is shedding jobs through privatization which inherently result in massive job losses and it cannot create jobs.The unemployment is permanently on the rise in South Africa. For example the official unemployment rate in 1994 was 20 % while the official unemployment rate in 2021 is 34.4%. The unemployment rate of the youth has also escalating is standing at more than 64%. Long before the out-break of the corona virus in 2019, the political economy of South Africa was already in shambles and collapsing. Workers in the mines, manufacturing and service sectors were losing jobs more and more and millions of people were thrown into abject poverty and squalor, with families breaking up and the majority of people left homeless. The out-break of COVID – 19 which was accompanied by lock-down after lock-down exacerbated the precarious situation of workers. More than 12 million workers lost their jobs especially in the agricultural and mining sectors. The out-break of the pandemic is used by the state as an excuse for a collapse of its economy to frustrate workers further especially the unemployed.

The poor masses in South Africa are not only faced by poverty, they are also faced by serious diseases such as tuberculosis especially in the mining industry. The H.I.V/ AIDS infection is also a big problem to the youth. The corona pandemic ravaged the South Africans with the total number of more than 86 million people and the number keeps on increasing on a daily basis and infected people is more than 2.6 million people and the vaccination itself is very slow.

The neo-colonialist system in South Africa subjects the poor people to extremely exploitation and oppression,as such the neo-colonialist and neo-apartheid government is faced by nation-wide protects, demonstrations and marches of all sections of the exploited and oppresses sections of the South African society. Workers are fighting for the high wage increase, whilst the monopolies are offering little increase or wage freeze. They are also fighting for saving their jobs while employers are busy with massive retrenchments or company closures. The community in the townships are fighting for lack of houses, electricity and expensive rate charges, i.e., inrease of electricity, water and etc. prices. Some of the peasants are resisting force removal from their land by the government. The peasants in general are fighting for the lack of infrastracture in their areas, such as roads, clean water and lack of water. The university students are fighting for access to the high learning institutions especially the students belong to the working class and poor peasants. The education fees are very expensive for them to continue with their academic study. They demand free and quality education.

The ANC-led government is becoming fascist and anti people and it suppresses the mass-struggles violently by rubber bullets, live ammunitions and detentions. The CPSA(M-L) in other cities and rural areas it manages to mobilize and guide the mass-struggles and as a result of the CPSA(M-L) guidance the struggles of the masses are becoming stubborn and the poor masses resist the government pressure. At the universities, it uses propaganda and agitation through its materials. The party encourages the establishment of self-running organizations by the masses and Anti-Imperialist and Anti-Fascist United Front. It took an active part in the establishment of the militant automative movement in South Africa which is the part of International Automative movement.

KENYA: Communist Party of Kenya

Report concerning the Country

Kenya remains a neo-colonial state, and a geo-political interest of imperialism in the East Africa region. It’s economy that has been operating on heightened neo-liberal policies since 2013 when the current President Uhuru Kenyatta came to power. The Country is heavily indebted to IMF, World Bank, Western countries and China. The media and the intelligentsia are generally owned by the bourgeoisie, and they spread news, mis-information and lies that promote the status quo. On the other hand, Kenya has a progressive civil society, that includes the Communist Party of Kenya, that is always opposing backward policies being promoted by the government and their foreign directors. Sometimes we succeed, sometimes the struggle is pushed to another day.

From 2020 to date, Covid 19 has exacerbated the suffering of the working class and the ordinary masses. At the onset of the Covid 19, the government copy-pasted policies from other countries like harsh lockdowns that did not consider the conditions in Kenya. Many Kenyans had to choose between dying from hunger, or Corona Virus. Many work places were closed and the cost of living skyrocketed. Unnecessary curfews were imposed and they were extended up to date. Sadly, many Kenyans were killed by the police in the name of enforcing lockdowns/curfew that were supposed to save lives! Most of those killed and injured by the police were workers trying to beat the curfew hours, persons with disabilities whose special circumstances were not considered. Even children were not spared in the process. Even though Covid 19 had an understandable effect on the economy of all countries in the world, the reaction from the government of Kenya worsened those effects.

Further, the IMF took advantage of the situation and started giving the Kenya government loans to protect big business from the effects of Covid 19. Most of this money (over two billion dollars) remains unaccounted for. Even PPEs donated by billionaire Jack Ma to Kenya (and most African countries) were stolen by senior government officials, and sold back to the government, thus creating overnight ‘Covid 19 millionaires.’

Covid 19 also confirmed the need for social reforms. For example, a majority of households do not have clean running water. In the city slums, social distancing is impossible since you will find a family of up to six persons living in a single 10m x 10m room. The healthcare system was ill prepared for Covid 19 and we are only lucky that the deaths from Covid 19 were not as high as that from the North and Asian countries.

Politically, the rich of Kenya have united to have one of their own win the presidential elections in 2022. They attempted to change the Constitution of Kenya so that the current President, Mr Uhuru Kenyatta could be appointed as a Prime Minister when his term ended. The CPK and the civil society rejected this amendment process, and finally the Courts declared the attempt to change the Constitution as unconstitutional. The main contenders for the 2022 election now are Raila Odinga (a capitalist with strong support from imperialist countries and who is also being supported by the current President), and William Ruto, the current Deputy President, a well-known thief but not yet among the richest in Kenya (still in the primitive accumulation stage), who is a smart politician and who is now using ‘class language’ to win support of the masses. However, the political mobilisation in Kenya remains ethnic more than anything else.

Report concerning the Party

The Party formally took up the name Communist Party of Kenya on January 9th 2019, changing from the Social Democratic Party of Kenya which as explained before was a cover since, until the coming of a new progressive Constitution in 2010, it was legally prohibited to have any revolutionary, let alone Communist Party in Kenya.

However, this change of name was rejected by the Registrar of Political Parties, forcing us to fight for the name both politically and legally in Court. We won the legal battle six months later, and the political struggle (demonstrations, media campaign, community mobilisation) helped us launch the Party better than we could have done if there was no government resistance. We thank ICOR for the solidarity it showed us at that time. The international uproar was critical in our struggle for our rightful name.

CPK has now established study circles and cells among the dock workers’ union, the agricultural and allied workers’ union, a section of the teachers’ union, the engineering workers’ union and the hotel and entertainment workers’ union. The Party is also continuing with its work among mass based organisations that fight for land rights in the country (this actually forced one of the regional governments to appoint the CPK National Chairperson as the Minister for Lands and he has really sharpened the contradictions on land in the coastal region.)

The Party has been vocal in opposing the stealing of Covid 19 funds and the indiscriminate closing down of the economy. As we speak, there is an ongoing case of 12 Party activists who were arrested inside our Party offices after participating in protests against the mentioned Covid 19 issues. Several dozen policemen surrounded the office and stormed in without any authorisation by the Courts as it should be.

Currently, the Party is preparing for the 2022 general elections. We plan to contest for parliamentary and local elections. Our candidates will come from our cadre membership, and also from community activists who align with/support the Party when it comes to human rights and social justice issues. Any support in this regard will go a long way in helping us to achieve our goals.

CPK will participate in the 2022 national elections for the following reasons: Kenyans believe in the elections and will participate in them whether we as communists like it or not; CPK will use the elections to measure the consciousness of the Kenyan masses to inform the strategies and tactics of our revolutionary struggle; To continue exposing the lies of the democracy of the ruling class; and, To use the elections to win whatever reforms we can that will better the welfare of the majority of Kenyans even under the present reactionary socio-political system. All in all, CPK will never be diverted by the illusionary national elections from the path of struggling for peoples’ participatory democracy: socialism.

Given that the requirement that the report be limited to a few words only, further clarifications and details shall be offered at the conference if and when needed.

PPDS (Tunisia)

Report on the current political situation in Tunisia

Tunisia: Turmoil, popular upheaval, president took huge exceptional measures against Islamists and their ruling party.

The regime is still there. Revolutionary struggle should continue

On July 25th, 2021, hundreds of thousands of people in all cities took the street protesting against Islamists and their government denouncing the worst economic, health and pandemic crisis that Tunisia is living since decades and rejecting the decade of poverty, terrorism and assassination.

17,9 % unemployment rate especially among the young graduates.

79,5 % of GDP public debts.

High and increasing rates of poverty

Soaring prices

Absence of covid 19 vaccinations and a health disaster causing thousands of deaths.

Deterioration of health and education

The masses attacked the headquarters and premises of Islamic ruling party Ennahda and protested peacefully.

Few hours after that elected president Kaiis Saied met with high military and security generals and took the following strong and unprecedented decisions activating article 80 of the constitution:

-Freezing the parliament prerogatives

-lifting immunity of all MPs preparing for the prosecution of the most corrupt of them (irony of history we have terrorists!!, smugglers....)

-Dissolving the government and taking executive power in hands.

-Forming a new government within few days (already designed a new interior minister)

-The military closed the parliament and presidency of government.

On the other hand, Islamists and their supporters are taking the streets to support the parliament and government.

They consider that this is a "coup". 

However, their actions are no longer that big as they are now hated and boycotted by people

The workers party ,former workers communist party of Hamma Hammami considered that this is a coup in line with the Islamists .

UGTT supported the president decisions and called for respect of constitution, liberties and socio-economic rights.

PPDS fully supported the popular upheaval, and our militants were in the streets with people. 

PPDS also supports the President Saeed measures and consider them one step forward since these measures topple down the reactionary parliament and government of the right-wing fascist Islamists. 

However, we call for continuation of revolutionary struggle towards the national emancipation and social freedom and socialism.

On September 22nd more measures were taken to put an end to the reign of Islamists.

Then a woman was appointed for the first time in history of Tunisia and Arab countries as head of the government.

ISLAMISTS NO LONGER RULE. THEY ARE NO LONGER IN THE GOVERNMENT

PPDS considers that these measures although not revolutionary and socialist but they are a step forward as they put an end to the reign of Islamists which was a gloomy decade full of corruption, impoverishing people ,soaring prices , economic and social crisis ,high rates of unemployment ……

We do not have the illusion that Kaiis Saied is the savior or the one who will lead the revolution towards socialism and know very well that he can only be a petit bourgeois president who is not corrupt but believes inside the same paradigm of the system and the bourgeois mode of thinking and that he can’t be a real revolutionary.

Hence, we call for the continuation of the revolutionary struggle led by the working class , peasants farmers and the oppressed classes towards the patriotic democratic revolution and socialism .

Morocco (MMLPL)

1 – Ce rapport politique part de la plateforme idéologique et politique du mouvement marxiste-léniniste ligne prolétaire MMLPL, et sa vision des récents développements politiques et économiques, ainsi que de la stratégie de lutte de classe de cette organisation et les tactiques employer pour atteindre ses objectifs.

2 – Le MMLPL vise à atteindre deux objectifs politiques majeurs, à partir d’une base idéologique marxiste-léniniste. Le première objectif est de faire face et détruire la domination arabo islamique dans l’ensemble de la région, et non pas au Maroc seulement, au moins , au Maroc, en Algérie, en Tunis, au Sahara occidental et en Mauritanie, avec comme alliance et collaboration les force révolutionnaires Amazigh vifs dans cette région.

3 Le deuxième objectif est l’instauration d’une république populaire démocratique socialiste sous la direction de la dictature de prolétariat de cette région en vue de la construction communiste.

4 – Le premier objectif concernant la destruction des bases de la domination arabo musulmane, part d’un refus totale des peuples amazighes de l’invasion des tribus arabo musulmane venants de l’Arabie Saoudite et de Yémen au 11, 12 et 13ème siècles, qui ont opprimé et détruit l’infrastructure paysanne amazigh en vue de les soumettre en tant que des esclave à leurs ordres. Mais, les peuples amazighs ont résisté et lutté farouchement contre ces invasions surtout par le célèbre héros amazigh Aksel et l’héroïne Dihia. La lutte amazighe est restée vivante malgré la suprématie de la domination arabo musulmane. Les derniers 5 siècles le Maroc a été divisé en deux partis géographiques, l’une dominant les plaines et soumises au monarque arabo musulmane et l’autre dominant les montagnes du Rif et de l’Atlas et dans le Sahara occidental et qui ne reconnaissent pas l’autorité arabo musulmane et cherchent activement à le détruire.

5 – En 19ème siècle les tributs amazigh ont presque approché à détruire le régime monarchique, si l’impérialisme française n’a pas offert sa protectorat à ce régime et pour détruire ensuite la résistance amazigh farouche dans le Rif, l’Atlas et le Sahara occidental et transformer le pays à un pays dépendant et soumis à l’exploitation impérialiste.

6 - La stratégie des impérialistes et de la monarchie arabo musulmane vise l’expropriation des moyens de production des amazighs et surtout leurs terres communes. En 2017 Le régime a adopté une loi pour l’expropriation de 15 millions d’hectares des amazighs pour une soit disant capitalisation de la production agricole, et en contre parti, chassé les amazighs de leurs terres, pour les ajouter à l’armée de réserve de travaille dans les périphéries des villes, ou ils n’ont de propriété que leurs forces de travaille à vendre, contre des bas salaires, aux capitalistes arabo musulmans et aux sociétés impérialistes.

7 – Donc, le MMLPL a surgie d’une histoire révolutionnaire des amazighs et de la souffrance des prolétaires sous l’exploitation capitaliste arabo musulmane et impérialiste après les avoir privé de tous les moyens de production. Sachant que le mot amazigh signifie « l’homme libre », qui n’a jamais accepté de se soumettre à l’esclavagisme à travers leurs l’histoire.

8 – Cette situation politique au Maroc n’est pas différente de la situation en Algérie, qui a vécu sous la domination Ottomane islamiste durant 5 siècles et ensuite sous la domination de l’impérialisme française , qui a donné l’indépendance politique au aristocrates arabo musulmane et leurs bras armée, parmi les forces militaires travaillant au sein des forces armés de la colonisation française, tel que, l’ancien président Algérien El Houari Boumediene. C’était une façon pour contre carré toute soulèvement des amazighs de Kabylie.

9 – A partir de ce constat on peut comprendre la peur des deux régimes arabo musulmane au Maroc et en Algérie du mouvement révolutionnaire amazigh dans le Sahara Occidental, qui menace l’existence des deux régimes à travers son possible influence sur les mouvements révolutionnaires amazighs dans les deux pays. Les deux régimes néocoloniaux, cherchent chacun par ses méthodes de dominer sur le Sahara Occidental à travers leurs alliés parmi les aristocrates sahraoui arabo musulmane.

10 – Le MMLPL travaille sur le développement dialectique de la lutte de classe au sein de la classe ouvrière dans tous les instances de l’auto défense des masses populaires et de gagner des sauts qualitatifs vers une étape d’un extrême antagonisme ou les prolétaires marocain peuvent venir au bout de la domination arabo musulmane et à la monarchie, et instaurer ensuite une république populaire démocratique socialiste sous la direction de la dictature de prolétariat.

11 – Actuellement il y a une préparation intense à enclencher une guerre entre le Maroc et l’Algérie pour gagner leurs concurrence de dominer le Sahara Occidental, à travers la course à l’armement. L’objectif de l’Algérie c’est de dominer le Sahara occidental à travers l’instauration d’un petit Etat sous leurs services, pour affaiblir le Maroc, et faire exporter le pétrole et le gaz algérien à travers le Sahara et l’océan Atlantique comme le chemin le plus court et le moins chère. En même temps le Maroc cherche à dominer le Sahara pour faire échouer le projet algérien et s’opposer à tout surgissement d’un Etat Amazigh à ses frontières de sud.

12 – Si la guerre se déclenche dans cette région, elle sera destructrice des populations marocain et algérien et sahraoui, sans aucun vainqueur ni vaincu, et en résolvant partiellement leurs crises politique composer, et éviter un soulèvement des amazigh contre la domination arabo musulmane. Ce sont les impérialistes qui bénéficieront le plus des ventes des armes.

13 – En fin, La lutte du MMLPL est semblable dans certain mesure avec la lutte des mouvements révolutionnaires de la grande Kurdistan contre la domination Turque et Arabe Islamiste et derrière eux contre la domination Impérialiste.

Reports from America

Perú (BDP)

In a world where we are fighting the Covid 19 pandemic, this is also a political struggle that reveals the failure of neoliberal capitalism.

The current health, social and economic crisis that our country is experiencing is the worst in Peruvian history. It is not only due to the coronavirus, but above all to the failure of almost 30 years of neoliberal capitalism, during which all neoliberal governments from Fujimori to Sagasti have maintained and continue to maintain an iron discipline of budget austerity and privatization of health and education.

The strategy of these neoliberal governments has not worked, as the ineffective quarantines in the state of emergency have failed, instead of first protecting the population from the private interest, for which illness and death are also an opportunity for big business and the enormous boundless corruption.

This is evident in the vaccination scandals, while thousands of Peruvians are dying due to lack of medical care and oxygen.

This is a painful reality for millions of Peruvians.

All countries and people, including the poor, must have access to the vaccine and the necessary medical treatment. But the big pharmaceutical companies Pfizer, Sinofarm and AstraZeneca, however, have sold more than half of all vaccine doses to the imperialist countries. In our case, Peru is one of the countries with the highest mortality rate per capita, with more than 200,000 deaths according to official figures. Vaccines are an achievement of human development to which all people have a right. In capitalism-imperialism, on the other hand, profits are made on vaccines, which can make the difference between life and death.

The so-called economic recovery was a failure of neoliberal governments.

This economic recovery is in reality a neoliberal adjustment that deepens social inequality and leads the country to an unprecedented social and economic collapse. In the last 30 years of neoliberalism, the structure of production oriented to the export of raw materials has not changed; on the contrary. Deindustrialization has worsened, the informal sector has reached 80%, 5 million people are unemployed, tax exemptions and incentives for large corporations have increased, tax evasion, especially in the mining and export sectors, has served to embezzle from the state, and wealth and plunder have never increased so much. Only for the working people there was no money.

This economic boom is at odds with the labor rights of working people, and a structural crisis is beginning in Peru.

The electoral victory of Pedro Castillo Terrones

As current constitutional president of the Republic of Peru: period 2021-2026.

This victory of Pedro Castillo, a teacher, is mainly due to the democratic and anti-imperialist aspirations and demands of the middle-class and poor rural population in the Andes. The common people, who elected Castillo and demand a new constitution, feel that Pedro Castillo's humble origins and the simplicity of his language and demeanor are reflected. They also know that the teacher is a man of struggle, and they are ready to fight with him. But at the same time they demand consequences, they are tired of promises and frustrations, they want real changes, even if they do not know what they should look like in concrete terms. For these reasons, the government of Pedro Castillo faces a double challenge: it must meet the most urgent demands of the most forgotten sectors, and at the same time, the teacher must lead the fight for a new constitution. This means that the government of Pedro Castillo will not have economic difficulties for the time being, since our Peruvian economy depends on exports for 60%, mineral prices are increasing every day, and the Central Bank of Peru has net reserves of $70 billion to date.

After the election victory

Get rid of reformist illusions, work for social revolution!

With the electoral victory of the democratic, anti-imperialist and socialist forces against the forces of reaction, corruption and their fierce anticommunist campaign, the confrontation between neoliberal continuity or social change with a new constitution has not ended, but rather the battles and verbal duels at the level of parliament, the press and the street are deepening and accelerating and are only symptoms of polarization. The reactionary forces are preparing to depose the president through a parliamentary or military coup, while among the forces seeking social change it is still unclear what strategy they will pursue.

Against this background, even an electoral victory by the democratic and left-wing forces in Congress in 2022 will not bring political stability. The ongoing social and political polarization will continue to move toward its resolution.

In these historical moments, nothing is more harmful than to cloud the vision of the whole by preaching reformist illusions, spreading the illusion that with the electoral victory and Pedro Castillo as president, power has already been seized and there is nothing left to do but work for governability. This is a reformist illusion that can lead to the defeat of the government and the Peruvian people.

Nor can any self-declared and self-proclaimed vanguard force the Peruvian people into revolutionary struggle through terrorist attacks.

That is why the broad Peruvian masses reject both state terrorism and the terrorism of the Shining Path and the MRTA, a rejection that we of the Bloque Popular del Perú share with the Peruvian people. No matter where the remains of the genocidal Abimael Guzman are buried, it is not bourgeois ideology that can banish the so-called Gonzalo ideas from social consciousness. This is a task that can only be solved by the ideology of genuine socialism.

The Bloque Popular del Perú calls for working together in the heat of the struggle and strengthening the mass organizations, trade unions, peasants', women's and students' associations, etc. in order to organize from the grassroots, from all corners of our country, the organs of the new democracy, especially the Popular Assemblies and the Peasant and Urban Rondas (Rondas Campesinas y Urbanas), and to develop among the people a new proletarian and solidarity culture of discussion, in order to understand how to link the struggle for concrete demands with the ideological and programmatic struggle for a new society and a new constitution.

Finally, the Bloque Popular del Perú, in consistent agreement with our principles, believes that none of the democratic and anti-imperialist demands of the working masses and of the Peruvian people can be fully and permanently fulfilled within the framework of the capitalist system. They can only be brought to completion in a socialist society, in a society in which the vital needs of humankind are at the center of society, in which the social wealth created by labor benefits the workers and not the capitalist masters. The time is ripe to breathe life into socialism "without copy or imitation" with our struggle, as the Amauta (master) José Carlos Mariategui said to us, and that the real change lies in the social revolution with orientation towards socialism.

Uruguay (PCR Uruguay)

Uruguay is a country dependent on imperialism and with a backward capitalism in which the oligarchy, linked to imperialism, especially Yankee imperialism, consists of the intermediary big bourgeoisie and the big landlords.

Our Revolutionary Communist Party sees the working class, which makes up 70% of the country's population, as the vanguard and main driving force of the democratic, agrarian and anti-imperialist revolution in an continuous march towards socialism.

As an immediate background, we can say that we come from governments of the "Frente Amplio", composed of opportunist forces such as the revisionist PCU and Social Democrats, which during its three periods of government continued the previous policy (política continuista), favored by the high international prices of raw materials.By adapting to the international imperialist division of labor, which exacerbated the reprimarization2 of the economy and deindustrialization. This policy was essentially at the service of big capital, oligarchy, finance capital, intermediary big bourgeoisie and imperialism.

As a result of the economic and social crisis that accompanied this policy, broad sectors of the population punished the government in the elections and channeled their discontent, clearing the way for the right and ultra-right with fascist components to take over the government in March 2020 with the participation of a military party.

The international capitalist-imperialist economic crisis, exacerbated by the pandemic, has expressed itself in our country in 2020 in an economic recession with a 5.9% drop in GDP, and this year the economic recovery is very weak. Today there are 185,000 unemployed, an unemployment rate of 10.4%, and 64,317 workers in seguro de paro (a type of short-time work; translator's note), 400,000 informally employed, and poverty has increased by 100,000 to 400,000 people.

However, in the midst of the economic and health care crisis, the government saved $660 million. This year it is presenting an accountability report with no spending, insisting on deepening the adjustment, and in the wage councils there are no plans to make up for the wage losses from 2020 so far.

The first thing this government pushed through was an Urgent Consideration Law (LUC - Ley de Urgente Consideración) with 457 articles, 94 of which are repressive and punitive. A reactionary and antidemocratic law that, among other things, restricts the right to strike and prohibits occupations and picketing. This shows to what point the class struggle has come in our country. The ruling classes can no longer govern as they have in the past without resorting to repressive measures against the people in order to impose their plans of adjustment (so-called "austerity policies"; translator's note) and increased exploitation.

The privatization of state-owned enterprises, the privatization and commercialization of public education and an anti-people reform of social security are being pushed forward by all means.

In terms of the budget, the government applies an absolutely regressive tax structure, taxing consumption, wages and pensions.

Cuts in public spending to deal with the budget deficit and the payment of debt interest are made through salary cuts, staff layoffs, and investments.

In the face of the pandemic: "Responsible freedom" without lockdown. Not only has the government restricted funding, but it is also one of the countries that has invested the least, according to ECLAC. It also accelerated the resumption of activities without the necessary area-wide vaccination, resulting in the country being among the top countries in the world on the list in terms of COVID deaths.

Another aspect related to the pandemic is the increasing reports of domestic violence in the country, due to insufficient government action and a lack of public budget to address this reality. Our Women's Alliance, starting from the "Workshop Célica Gómez for the Liberation of Women" (Taller por la Liberación de la Mujer Célica Gomez), has promoted sounding the alarm on every feminicide and has actively participated in women's issues.

Our work from the Class Conscious Trade Union Current (Corriente Sindical Clasista [CSC]) in the unions opposes the opportunism of the leadership of the PIT-CNT, which is in the majority and which agreed to the wage reduction directives with no struggle in the 2020 wage councils. We denounce this and call for the advancement of an active 24-hour strike to unite the struggles against the wage reduction directives, in order to wrest measures from the government to confront the health and economic emergency in which our people find themselves.

In contrast to reconciling opportunism, the class-conscious direction has united and formed a coordination of trade unions and class-conscious minority groupings in the trade unions, in which our current participates. And although we are a minority, we have managed, under certain conditions, to push through measures that advance the struggle.

The popular victory was achieved through the 800,000 signatures that made possible the referendum against the LUC. The mobilization on 14 August, the day of commemoration of the student martyrs, in which we participated with our current of the Students of the People (Corriente de Estudiantes del Pueblo [CEP]), was multifaceted. And despite the difficult conditions that the student movement has faced due to the pandemic and the closure of study centers, it has conquered the streets, reclaiming its role as the main actor in the struggle. The mobilization on August 18, when more than 10,000 workers gathered in front of the government palace as part of the nationwide strike of public education, public employees of ministries (COFE) and dockworkers (SUPRA), showed that the conditions for further steps are more than in place. This is confirmed in the nationwide strike with the mobilization on 15 September with more than 40,000 people against the wage cuts, union repression and adjustments in accountability, where we call for "Turning the active strike into a great popular uprising against the adjustment and wage cuts to get back all wage losses NOW!!!". So that the people do not pay for the crisis, the struggle must continue to advance.

Mexico (FMIN)

Mexico is a capitalist country, dependent mainly on U.S. imperialism, with remnants of semi-feudalism. The Mexican state is a capitalist state with bourgeois dictatorship. Its dependence on imperialism has been reinforced since the 19th century by the imposition of unequal treaties in favor of imperialism, its monopolies and finance capital. And before that, through the invasion, the murder of 50,000 inhabitants and the annexation of more than half of the national territory. The U.S. and other capitalist powers flooded Mexico with their goods, making the country a market for their industrial products and at the same time subordinating industrial and agricultural production to their imperialist needs.

Beginning in the third decade of the 20th century, state monopoly capitalism, in alliance with the Mexican big bourgeoisie and imperialism, enabled the development of a dependent capitalism on a new basis, generating numerous light and heavy industry enterprises and taking advantage of natural resources and the overexploitation of cheap labor. Thus, from the 1980s until the current government of the self-proclaimed Fourth Transformation of President Andrés Manuel López Obrador, a welfare state that maintained its economic policies for almost five decades in the 20th century, with the participation of mainly foreign financial capital, became a capitalist state with neoliberal policies. It makes a turn towards the strategy of the Mexican bourgeoisie for the development and realization of a welfare state of dependent capitalism on a new basis. This is done in accordance with the needs of imperialism to get out of the deep structural crisis of the over-accumulation of capital and the falling rate of profit. It fell by 60% in the last 40 years, the nominal wage by 80% .

Mexico is a dependent capitalist country, not an imperialist country.

Mexico shares with the vast majority of Latin American countries the character of a dependent capitalist country, with different levels of development of capitalism and existing vestiges of semi-feudalism, with varying degrees of dependence on U.S. imperialism, which considers the continent its backyard. Their economic and military plan is to expand their military bases and intervene throughout the continent, assassinating and exterminating communists. The experience of the last 30 years shows that U.S. imperialism imposes neoliberal or welfare governments in Latin America, depending on its interests and needs, and does so sometimes with one, sometimes with the other. In the case of Mexico, the so-called war on drug trafficking, the Merida Initiative, and the increasing militarization of the country have to date affected one million people, including 357,000 killed by the Mexican big bourgeoisie and U.S. imperialism.

The Mexican working class formed its party on 24 November 1919 and massively mobilized the Mexican people, a struggle that continues to this day.

Organización Apoyante del PCM de ideología MLM (FMIN)

(Supporting Organization of the PCM with MLM ideology [FMIN])

Reports from Asia

Bangladesh (SPB)

Bangladesh is a country in south Asian region .It gained its independence in 1971 from the colonial exploitation of Pakistan. The four pillars of Bangladesh’s independence written in Bangladesh’s constitution are – Democracy, Socialism, Secularism and Nationalism. . In spite of the promise of a planned economy at birth, Bangladesh has built up an economy which is undoubtedly capitalist in nature. After birth, Bangladesh has gone through many types of rules including electoral democracy, autocracy, military rule etc. Currently Bangladesh is being ruled by Bangladesh Awami League, which is in power for 13 years. The limited democracy that was present in electoral system has been wiped out in the last 13 years by the ruling party. All the independent institutions like election commission, universities, judiciary etc. have become controlled and corrupted. Like many other anti-people governments, Bangladesh government’s anti-people strategies were nakedly exposed by the pandemic caused by COVID-19. In Bangladesh, COVID-19 has exposed lack of preparation of health sector and lack of spontaneity to deal with a pandemic. The first patient was found on March 8th, 2020 but it took us to March 30th to receive a treatment guideline for COVID-19. The health personnel didn’t receive any PPE before April which led to the contamination and death of many renowned doctors. Another burning issue was the poor number of ICU beds which was only 1267.

Another aspect of this COVID-19 pandemic was the crisis of food during the lockdown period .There was a 60% rise in severe poverty following the economic crisis in COVID-19 lockdown. About 32% families in rural area decreased their amount of food intake. The government allocated food relief which was certainly not enough for the poor families and massive corruption was discovered in its distribution among the poor.

A pandemic like COVID-19 requires a strong role by the media to ensure rights of the people and ensuring an unwavering flow of information. But harassment of journalist, activists, and cartoonists was hugely seen as there was news published against the ineffective strategies of the government to cope up with the COVID-19 crisis and massive corruption in food relief distribution. 88 people including 79 journalists were arrested with the charge of spreading rumor and fake news. 67 cases were filed under the fascistic law `digital security act 2018’ during the COVID-19 crisis.

Our Party- Socialist Party of Bangladesh- SPB was formed in 1980 upholding the banner of socialism in a valiant and scientific way. We have had significant role in the historical anti-autocracy movement against General Ershad in 80’s decade. We have led many labor and student movements throughout the country since our birth. We have fixed our political line as socialist revolution and have not been in any alliance with any capitalist parties till today. During COVID-19 pandemic, we have been working relentlessly to support the people and prepare them for this crisis. We organized the first scientific seminar on COVID-19 in Bangladesh to spread consciousness about COVID-19 among students on February4th, 2020 at Barisal. We printed out thousands of leaflets to make people aware about the physical distancing, hand hygiene, use of mask etc. from the month of February in 40 districts. After the outbreak in March, we handed out face masks, hand sanitizer, hand wash to thousands of people throughout the country. When the health crisis emerged, we organized free oxygen service, free ambulance service in around 2o districts. During the food crisis in lockdown, we arranged relief program in the form of a market called `Market of Humanity’ and provided food support to lakhs of people. We also organized community kitchen in around 25 districts to provide prepared food to the people in distress. We did these works not as charity but to help the people from our political responsibility. We also put up strong movements throughout the country to accuse the government of its inappropriate and anti-people strategies and demanded treatment, vaccine and food support for the people.

We analyze the current system in Bangladesh as a growing fascistic regime which has been maintaining balance with the imperialist forces to stay in power. We strongly believe that only left alternative can provide an effective change to this situation. With that aim, we have formed a left alliance in our country along with other left parties named `Left Democratic Alliance’. We also believe that international platform like ICOR is strongly necessary to fill in the lacks of a communist international and strengthen our bonds by sharing our experiences of struggle.

Sri Lanka (NDMLP)

National situation in the past year (2020-21) and the NDMLP

News since early 2020 has been dominated by panic about the COVID-19 pandemic.

The economy of the country faces its current crisis mainly as a result of the open economic policy introduced in 1978, which wrecked the national economy and the country now relies on the export of skilled, semi-skilled and domestic labour for foreign currency earnings to feed the growing consumerism of the middle class. The civil war added to the debt burden and using the war as excuse many state enterprises have been privatized or sold to foreigners. Although the war is over successive governments have not taken it below the wartime maximum and the budget allocation for the ministry is the highest among all ministries.

Direct export of labour and diversion of young productive labour towards better paying but insecure jobs with harsh working conditions and poor labour rights have robbed the country of labour that could revive the national economy and food self-sufficiency. The country imports food and most of its essential goods.

The country’s level of indebtedness, already worrying with debt to GDP ratio around 90% reached over 110% in the past two years owing to a combination of circumstances including the global economic slowdown caused by economic lockdown as a panic reaction to the COVID-19 pandemic. The immediate crisis concerns balance of payments and the government has resorted to short term measures such as currency swaps with countries in the region import control.

The government has resorted to ad hoc measures which are not always well thought out (like the hasty ban on the import of turmeric and synthetic fertilizer) and caused hardships to the people. Rising prices of goods, especially food items, and frequent shortages of essential goods are aggravated by and transport restrictions under COVID-19 lockdowns and hoarding by suppliers, traders and even affluent sections of the public. Besides, disruption of transport has adversely affected small agricultural produces and fishers who are unable to deliver produce to the markets as well as consumers who have to pay high prices to middlemen.

Long periods of lockdown have not only slowed down production nationally but also led to partial or total closure of businesses, especially small and medium scale businesses, seriously affecting employment. The informal labour sector comprising casual and daily paid workers and the self-employed are severely affected. Sops thrown at those affected by the economic disruption are inadequate to compensate the loss of earnings.

In 2020 the government hoped to claim credit for its successful handling of COVID-19 using the armed forced. Its plans were blown to the wind by ineffective control of spread of disease and poor coordination of the effort. Placing an army officer in control of the COVID-19 programme caused resentment among health workers.

The government still uses the global panic about the pandemic to divert attention from more serious issues.

Inconsistency in implementing lockdown procedures caused much heartburn among the public. The deliberately anti-Muslim step of forced cremation of all COVID-19 dead on false pretext of viral infection spreading through the soil hurt Muslim sentiments which were already hurt by anti-Muslim feelings whipped up in the wake of the 2019 Easter bombings.

Encroachment of land in the North and East on various pretexts has escalated amid failure to return army-occupied lands.

What is most insulting of the judicial system are presidential pardons of convicted criminals and even rewarding of some with high posts while many are still detained without charge or trial on suspicion of terrorism. The state also abuses legal powers to selectively harass members of the Muslim community while turning a blind eye to acts of violence against Muslims.

Although the government has nominally delivered on its pledge of Rs1000 daily wage for plantation workers the actual implementation of the policy is being subverted at various levels right down to the place of weighing the freshly gathered tea leaves.

Protests continue against wrong government policies such as banning import of synthetic fertilizer with no alternative in hand and transforming a military academy into a national university for profit have met with brutal state force and harassment of trade unions leaders.

It is against such background that political work has to be carried out.

The New Democratic National Democratic Party has campaigned against abuses by the government through protest demonstrations, meetings behind closed doors under safety requirements and electronic access to meetings, video conferencing and Zoom meetings. It marked May Day 2021 using electronic media including Zoom sessions. It has also developed platforms for discussing current global events and political theory and work on art and culture.

It has expressed support to all just struggles by issuing timely statements of support and canvassing public opinion through the media.

Its publication of journals was hindered by the pandemic but activities have been resumed since middle of 2021.

India ( CPI(ML) Red Star)

INDIA: The Country Report by the CC of the CPI(ML) Red Star.

In our last country report we had pointed out how India, a neo-colonially dependent country, has come under neo-fascism with the ascendance of the RSS-led Modi to power in 2014. Neoliberal-corporatisation pursued since 1990s took a far-right turn. The 65 year old Planning Commission was demolished. To whiten huge black money holdings of corrupt corporate billionaires, demonetisation was imposed. It sucked out whatever left in the arteries of the common people. Then GST deprived the States(Provinces) of their Federal right of resource mobilization. All tax burden was shifted to the common people. Corporate tax rates were brought down. It carried out one of the biggest disinvestment programs, selling-out of the whole public sector to foreign and Indian corporates at throw-away prices. And corruption, permeated all layers of ruling system.

To allow unfettered “hire and fire” by corporate capital, the Modi regime replaced 44 labour laws with four Labour Codes. Unorganised/informal sector workers now constitute around 95 percent of the Indian working class. All environmental regulations that restricted corporate plunder of nature were taken away. New Education Policy-2020 facilitates corporatisation and saffronisation of education. Through three Black Laws agriculture is corporatized. This led to the historic and world’s most prolonged Farmers’ Struggle. The advent of COVID-19 and the most stringent and coercive lockdown to facilitate corporatisation had led India to horrific de-industrialisation and economic contraction, with speculative spheres ballooning.

Meanwhile internationalisation of production and global integration of finance capital have enabled many emerging Indian corporate billionaires to become junior partners of MNCs while depending on imperialism for technology and market. The State’s policy decisions, both domestic and foreign, are still subject to the diktats of neo-colonial neoliberal institutions. While continuing as junior partner of US imperialism and its strategic ally, the Indian state resorts to expansionist designs in South Asia. QUAD and its encroachments in Nepal and other neighbours shows this.

All round corporatisation and superimposed capitalist relations, did not eliminate feudal relations, its remnants and values, merged together have taken barbaric forms. The RSS led corporate-neo-fascist regime has propped up all obscurantist, feudal, casteist and patriarchal forces. So, Dalits, adivasis, women and minorities become still more oppressed. Integrated with corporatisation, casteism and untouchability reinforced by Brahminical ideology and culture have become omnipresent, even in institutions of higher education and scientific research.

The advent of neo-fascism in India led by RSS, the longest running and biggest fascist organisation in the world, is also coterminus with the emergence of neoliberalism. Taking advantage of the political-economic instability and aggravation of contradictions in the country, RSS came to the limelight and its political front, BJP became India’s biggest political party within a short span of time with the support of corporate forces and media. Following its re-election to parliament with a greater majority in 2019, Modi rule has forcibly integrated Kashmir into Indian Union and the 20 million Muslims are targeted, spreading Islamophobia. Thousands were publicly lynched, now many thousands families are thrown in to dreaded Detention Centers in Assam. Superimposing pan-Indian homogenizing drive over multinational, multilingual, multicultural, multi-ethnic and multi-religious essence of India and all values of modernity including rational-scientific thinking, are rejected, fostering the cult of tradition and obscurantism, treating dissent and disagreement as treason, targeting Muslims, communists and progressive-democratic forces. Uncompromisingly integrating itself with corporate finance capital, RSS-led BJP regime has become typically neo-fascist. In conformity with the conspicuous international trend towards intensified plunder of nature by corporate-speculative capital under neoliberalism, India also is witnessing unprecedented ecological devastation.

In this neo-fascist context, CPI(ML) Red Star has called for the broadest possible anti-fascist people’s front for throwing out the RSS led BJP rule from power, using all forms of struggle. At the same time, the Party is building a core of revolutionary left and struggling forces with revolutionary program. Recognizing that both these tasks can be carried forward in a vast country like India, only by a powerful party organization with countrywide influence, surrounded by class/mass organizations and people’s movements, to mobilize the masses for a countrywide insurrection for seizure of political power led by the working class, peasantry, and all exploited and oppressed, it is given the top priority today.

KN Ramachandran, General Secretary, CPI(ML) Red Star.

Nepal, NCP(Mashal) Country Report

The Current Political Situation of Nepal

1. After the promulgation of new constitution in 2015, Nepal has entered into a new democratic era with the adoption of republican system replacing the previous monarchial rule in practice for over about the last two and half centuries. People of Nepal has succeeded to abolish monarchy and establish republic in Nepal. But we hold the view that the struggle to strengthen republic has not come to an end yet and we have to go a long way in struggle against retrogression.

2. In the first general election held thereafter, Communist Party of Nepal (UML) led by Oli emerged as the largest party in the parliament and he became prime minister. Later on, the CPN (UML) led by Oli and the CPN (Maoist Centre) led by Prachand merged into a single party, Communist Party of Nepal (CPN). They claimed it as a main stream of the communist movement of Nepal. But in fact it was a rightest revisionist one and was not a communist party in real sense. However, we analyzed it was a patriotic, democratic, leftist and a friendly organization. Oli continued as a prime minister even after unification of both organizations and formation of united CPN.

3. Very soon an intraparty conflict developed in the CPN and Oli was in minority both in the parliament and his organization too. But Oli took the stand that he would not obey the decisions made by both of committee of his party or its majority. So, voice was late within his organizations to resign either from prime ministership or from the post of president. However, instead of relinquishing any of the two posts, Oli recommended the dissolution of the lower house of the parliament and declared mid-term election in 6 months. Such a step on the part of Oli government created a political crisis in the country. A mass movement broke out in the country against the step of Oli government.

4. NCP (Mashal) took such a step of Oli as unconstitutional, undemocratic, fascist and retrogressive one. After such a step of Oli government Mashal withdrew its support formerly given to Oli government. The alliance made of twenty-two leftist parties or organizations, including NCP (Mashal), CPN (Maoist revolutionary) led by Mohan Baidhya Kiran, CPN led by Biplop, CPN (ML) led by C.P. Mainali etc. also declared the action of Oli as a retrogression- oriented and fascist one. Then after they unitedly organized a protest meeting at Kathmandu against the dissolution of parliament by Oli. But the united leftist movement couldn't go further than that as the 22 parties or organizations were not unanimous on the question of struggling to restore dissolved parliament.

5. Some of the organizations belonging to the 22 leftist organizations maintaining that both parliamentary system and republic are reactionary, refrained from lunching a movement for the restoration of the dissolved parliament. Instead of that, they prefer to attack upon both existing parliamentary system and republic. They took New Democracy or Scientific Socialism as immediate line of action.

6. Mashal also has no difference on question of taking New Democracy as its strategic program although they differed with the view of taking socialism as a strategic program in the present historical conditions of Nepal. Mashal also has clear-cut stand that in the long run adopted the policy to replace existing parliamentary system and bourgeoisie republic by new democratic system or new democratic republic. But in the present condition of the country tactically it adopts the policy to defend parliamentary system and republic which are achieve by long struggle and sacrifice of Nepali people.

7. The royalist forces in Nepal are agitating in a planned way to knock down parliamentary system, republic and secularism too. As Such an efforts of them are being backed by Hindu fundamentalist ruling class of India, the danger of retrogression has become many times more serious than in the past. So, we take the task of struggle against retrogression very important at present. As a part of such struggle, we have taken the decision to struggle to restore the dissolved parliament too seriously.

8. To strengthen the struggle for the restoration of parliment we have taken initiative to unite or to have unity-in-action with all the political forces, excluding royalists, favoring to struggle for the restoration of the parliament.

9. Later, the Supreme Court (SC) nullified the dissolution of parliament and the parliament was reinstated. But Oli in spite of following decision of SC continually advocated against the decision of the SC and tried his best to make the parliament business less and make that a failure. Such a role of Oli created sharp conflict within the CPN itself and majority members of that (CPN) took initiative even to oust Oli from the posts of both Prime Minister Ship and president ship. They even went to the extent of file a no-confidence resolution against Oli in the parliament. To keep on his power Oli again dissolved the parliament and declared to hold mid-term election.

10. It was in such a background that an alliance consisting of five leftist and democratic parties or organizations, National People's Front, a legal front of Mashal, led by Chitra Bahadur K.C. CPN (Maoist Center) led by Prachand, a section of UMLA led by Madhav Nepal and Jhalanath Khanal, a Madeshbadi organization led by Upendra Yadhav and Nepali Congress led by Ser Bahadur Deuba was formed. It struggled harshly in the legal front and in the street too to restore the dissolved parliament and for the dethronement of the Oli government. In the last the SC gave verdict to restore the dissolved parliament and ouster Oli from the prime ministership installing a new government under the leadership of Sher Bahadur Deuba, president of Nepali Congress and a participant of five party alliance.

11. The Rastriya Janamorcha, a participant five parties alliance also was invited to join the government. But our Party decided not to join the government and to support it from outside reserving our rights to criticize or oppose the government on the basis of its policies and actions. We have many differences of fundamental nature with all other participations of five Party alliance. So, we thought that it was batter for us to remain outside of the government rather than to join that.

12. We think that the achievements of movement, the restoration of the dissolved parliament and the dethronement of Oli government, were very important ones. These have contributed much to defeat the retrogression which was going to come out from the womb of parliamentary system itself. But we don’t think that the danger posed by retrogression is fully over. The threat of retrogression still exists.

13. The royalists, as asserted before, are continually campaigning to over throw republic and secularism. They are backed by Indian imperialism. That makes the danger of retrogression many times more serious then what it was in the past history of Nepal.

14. After the secret meeting of Oli with Raw Chief of India, Goyel at Kathmandu, he (Oli) seems to have gone fully on side of Indian Imperialism. The first sign of it was seen on his worship of Pashupatinath temple giving a gift of about 108 kg gold to the temple to make a golden Aquarius. He also made a plan to construct a temple of god Rama in Chitawan district. There is ground to think that such acts on his part were signs of his shift from secularism to Hindu nation. Such a role of him combined with dissolution of parliament was welcomed by all royalist forces of the country thinking that it would pave the way for the restoration of the monarchy in Nepal.

15. Even after the dismissal of Oli from the government by SC he is making all efforts under his control to make the parliament a failure. In this way he is doing his best to destroy whole of the multi-party system. Ideologically or strategically we are against parliamentary system. But from the tactical point of view we struggle to defend it from the attack of retrogression or to check royalists to come forward.

16. In the many parts of the world, where democracy has developed much or has taken reactionary character, the danger of retrogression has become a matter of out of date. But in the existing situation of Nepal we cannot undermine its danger. In the past history of Nepal it (the danger of retrogression) has again and again come to wash down the democratic system as a whole. The possibility of it coming in new form again cannot be ruled out. That is why we give so much emphasis on the struggle against retrogression even today.

17. The annexation of Kalapani by India is very important national question of Nepal. Kalapani area of Nepal, in which Lipulekh and Limpyudhara too are included, are occupied by India just after indo-China war of 1962. Lately India published a map showing the whole area of Kalapani in India and constricted a road through Lipulekh to go to Manasarowor in China. Afterwards the parliament of Nepal also adopted a map showing Kalapani area in Nepal. Nepal government has send many notes to India for bilateral talk with India on the disputed area of Kalapani. But Indian government has turned out all the request of Nepal for bilateral talk up to today.

18. Later Oli also has shown compromising trend on the issue of Kalapani. He has even ordered to the concerned department of government to postpone the distribution of the course books on which Kalapani area was shown in Nepal, It is obvious that Oli has taken such a turn on issue of Kalapani under the pressure of Indian government.

19. However, all the patriotic and leftist forces of Nepal are agitating to take effective majors for the bilateral talk with India or even to take the issue to UNO or to the international court. But Oli government instead of taking seriously the voice of people of Nepal was taking more and more compromising attitude towards Kalapani issue. We don't think that even the present government of Nepal, Deuba government would take firm action on Kalapani issue.

20. Therefore, responsibility of struggle for the liberation of their land occupied by Indian imperialism falls upon on the shoulder of Nepalese people. But Nepalese people want the support of the just loving and revolutionary people of the whole world and we appeal to the ICOR too help Nepali people in their struggle on Kalapani.

21. We are happy and proud to note it that all the patriotic and leftist forces of Nepal, irrespective of many political differences among themselves are unitedly and continuously struggling for more than six decades against the occupation of Kalapani area by Indian army.

22. American imperialism is trying by all means to bring Nepal under Indo-Pacific Strategy under the cover of MCC (Millennium Challenge Corporation). The objective of IPS is to encircle China strengthening its military position in all countries of Indo-Pacific area, including Nepal. In such a plan of America Nepal occupies important strategic position and that is why it (America) is giving so much pressure to Nepal to accept the MCC.

23. According to understanding reached between Nepal and America the MCC must be recommended by the parliament of Nepal. But because of countrywide public opinion and movement against the MCC in Nepal, all the efforts of America to make parliament to endorse it have failed. Even with in the ruling parties or circle too there is much dissatisfaction against MCC. Oli government was determined to make it pass by the parliament. But due to sharp difference within the CPN itself on the MCC the repeated attempts of Oli could not succeed.

24. The leftist forces of the country are in forefront in movement against the MCC. In spite of many serious differences among them on many other political issue of the country, they always have been standing unitedly against MCC. Because of all these factors the MCC is pending for last 4 years.

25. Lately, after a new government was formed under Ser Bahadur Deuba, a high level delegation of America had visited Nepal to make government of Nepal to make the MCC endorsed by parliament. But at the time of visit to Nepal a country wide movement broke out in the country as a result of that and lack unanimity on the opposition by many participation of the five party alliance they (the high level delegation of America had to go back from Nepal in vain. This was a great victory of Nepali people against America imperialism

26. Both India and China are imperialist countries. But, considering upon the Indian expansionist role in Nepal and distinguished geo-political situation of Nepal, importance of friendly relation of Nepal with China is very important to check and balance the danger posed by India in Nepal for decades. Unlike India, China has always supported the territorial integrity and sovereignty of Nepal. So we think it wrong to put both the imperialist countries in the same footing.

27. During the Covid-19 period too we under the initiative of our own Party, legal front and class or mass organizations or uniting with other various leftist organizations have been organizing countrywide movement against MCC or on many other National questions. After Oli government dissolved the parliament we also had organized mass movements against that. Besides organizing mass movement on various other issues concerned with people. We have been organizing numerable online or zoom program within the country or world level for training of our workers. So we also have been trying to come over much difficult condition created by Covid-19 too.

MB Singh

NCP Mashal

NEPAL (PPRF)

[Presented by Patriotic People’s Republican Front of Nepal at the Fourth International Conference of ICOR-2021]

The so-called Communist Party of Nepal (CPN) scored nearly two-thirds of majority seats in the federal parliament of Nepal in the first general election held right after the promulgation of a new constitution in 2015 and the party formed a government commanding an absolute majority, however, it suffered expulsion from the power mainly because of internal party feuds the party experienced throughout three and a half years of its control in the government. The first chairman and the prime minister Mr. K. P. Sharma Oli twice dissolved the parliament within six months contrary to the Constitutional provisions to retain power forever, but, the Supreme Court furnished the verdict (mandamus) against the dissolution and reinstated the parliament twice along with the formation of a government under the premiership of the leader of main opposition party Nepali Congress (NC), Mr. Sher Bhadur Deuba. Now, the CPN has already fragmented into three factions and there is a coalition government of five political parties with Mr. Sher Bahadur Deuba at its helm, but, this government is nothing more than the other side of the coin and will not be able in solving the problems facing by the people and people are anticipating nothing from this government and. All these phenomena have made Nepal’s parliamentary government and politically unstable and turbulent that has allowed the opportunity for the international power centers to meddle into the internal politics of the country. This could be deemed as the failure of both parliamentary and revisionism based on aforesaid incidents.

The problems of national integrity and sovereignty, people’s democratic rights, and people’s livelihood are becoming increasingly pressing on the one hand, at the same time, these problems have been much more severe due to the COVID-19 pandemic on the other. The existing multi-faceted contradictions in the country are about to surge in a new way during this time. The acquisition and infringement of the Nepali territories including the Kalapani-Lipulek-Limpiadhura in the northwestern frontier by the Indian expansionism and the imposition of the Millennium Challenge Corporation (MCC) project by the US imperialism have made the issue of national independence further crucial and endangered. At this juncture, the contradictions amongst the ruling reactionary classes and as well as their parties have been burgeoning. At his moment the contradiction between capital and labor has much intensified as well. All these circumstances, on the one hand, further reveal the realities of the crises of the reactionary state power and system, and, on the other, imply the necessity that the revolutionary forces should move forward based on the correct political lines by acknowledging the gravity of the circumstances.

To sum up, we can draw the following conclusions by going through the current political situation of the country:

1. The pro comparator and bureaucratic capitalist and feudal class-based old state power and parliamentary system have been fetching unstable, turbulent, and crisis-ridden. This is a favorable circumstance for the revolution. But, the government and the state power have not been nonfunctional. The seat and state machinery of the reactionaries are powerful as yet. This is an undesirable situation.

2. There is discontentment, distrust, and resentment amongst the masses of people against reactionary state power the political parties who represent them in general. But, the masses of people could not come out successful to appear in the arena of struggle by ignoring them.

3. The revolutionary forces are too feeble to introduce an alternative against the reactionary state power and system, to denounce and shatter the strongholds of the reactionary and opportunistic attitude of turning people into a vote bank by reaching out to the masses of people.

4. At this juncture, it is urgent to reach out to the masses of people, to make the propaganda works systematic, to make the organizational and agitational works develop, and to move forward for the preparation of revolutionary works with eagerness by making a correct judgment of adversity and favorability.

5. The only alternative to the existing reactionary state power and system is to establish a New Democratic State Power, therefore, it is urgent to concentrate our focus on the necessary preparation to establish that system.

Reports from Australia

Australia (CPA(ML))

The most significant recent development has been the announcement of the new US-UK-Australia security pact, AUKUS. By unilaterally cancelling a $90 billion contract with France for non-nuclear powered submarines, Australia has further embedded itself within the US war machine by opting for the purchase of submarines that are nuclear powered. It raises the level of interoperability between the US and Australian militaries and lowers any capacity for independence by Australia in areas of foreign policy and military conflict.

While the actual provisions of AUKUS are not clear at this stage, the Australian Defence Minister, a notorious right-winger, has indicated that US nuclear submarines could operate out of a naval base near Perth, Western Australia; that there would be “greater air cooperation through rotational deployments of all types of US military aircraft to Australia”; that the number of US troops being rotated through a base at Darwin (currently 2500 at any one time) will be increased; and that US intermediate range missiles could be located in the north of our country. AUKUS is heightening US and UK military presence and aggression in Australia and Indo-Pacific. Military storage facilities will be upgraded and new ones established in strategic parts of the country. There is public concern of potential storage of nuclear weapons and stationing of US and UK warships and bombers carrying nuclear arms in our country, and region.

Australia, the puppet of US imperialism, is firmly locked into the US/UK imperialist aggression in Indo-Pacific and preparations for war with China.

We are working with other organisations to oppose AUKUS. Moves are underway to establish a broad people’s coalition (united front) comprising peace, anti-war, environment, welfare, religious organisations, and unions to oppose and campaign against AUKUS. The coalition will build solidarity and work closely with the anti-war/anti-imperialist organisations in the regions. The first protest in what will need to be a long-term developing movement, took place in Adelaide last week.

A People’s Enquiry into the costs of the US alliance has received hundreds of submissions and has been a very successful initiative of the Independent and Peaceful Australia Network (IPAN).

On other fronts, Australian First Peoples continue to fight to protect their communities and cultures. There is a huge gap between their health outcomes and those of other Australians, and they are the most jailed Indigenous people, on a per capita basis, of any on the planet. Their land rights continue to be threatened and violated, particularly by huge multinational mining corporations.

The women’s movement was re-ignited with allegations that the then Federal Attorney-General had, as a young man, raped a woman who recently committed suicide. A second matter, the alleged rape of a parliamentary staffer in Parliament House a couple of years ago showed the government to be unsympathetic and deeply misogynistic and led to massive rallies for the rights of women.

After relatively successfully handling the Covid-19 pandemic in its first year, the rapid spread of the Delta variant has had a devastating effect in the states of New South Wales and Victoria. The government was inept in securing vaccines and although 75% of people aged 16 and over have now had their first dose, only 50% have had their second dose. Sydney and Melbourne are still locked down, and Melbourne has now been locked down for longer than any other large city in the world . Most people are complying with social distancing and mask-wearing rules, but right-wing libertarians and ant-vaxxers have had violent rallies to push their agenda. They have been particularly influential in the construction industry and targeted the CFMEU, the most militant union in the country, at the start of last week. A crowd of several thousands, including many construction workers and CFMEU members alongside right-wing activists, attacked the CFMEU offices and continued their protests during the week. However, the right- wing libertarians were not successful in their attempts to infiltrate and influence unions and workers in aged care and other health care workers and unions.

Other sections of the workers, under some of the most repressive anti-union legislation in the developed capitalist world, have been fighting to protect wages and conditions from new Enterprise Agreements under which employers seek to lower wages, remove hard-won conditions, and outsource work from their permanent employees to so-called contract and labour hire workers on lower pay and fewer, or no, entitlements such as sick leave.

There is widespread opposition to the government’s continuing support for the fossil fuel industry.

Communist Party of Australia (Marxist-Leninist).

Reports from Europe

Ukraine (KSRD)

In 2020 - 2021, the full impact of the corona pandemic was visible in Ukraine. The standard of living of working people in the country is already low, and in 2020, due to the virus, more jobs were cut and unemployment increased, further complicating the situation. At the same time, both the state and entrepreneurs use the anti-virus restrictions as an excuse to curtail the rights of wage and unofficial workers.

As is known, in Ukraine there are still many people (hundreds of thousands) who work unofficially, with only verbal agreements, and receive wages in cash, without taxes and without social guarantees from the entrepreneur. This happens not only in the "province", but also in the capital and major cities.

At the same time, there are ongoing labor protests in the country - especially by miners and workers in the engineering sector. While strikes by miners are not uncommon in the western and eastern regions, they are still rare in engineering plants. For example, at the beginning of September, workers at the Kharkov aircraft plant went on a one-day strike because the administration had committed numerous violations of labor law, wages were not paid (200 million hryvnias, or almost 7 million euros) and mass layoffs occurred. The action ended with a partial victory for the workers and the settlement of part of the wage debt.

The living conditions of the working class will remain difficult: This fall began another increase in the price of public utilities, for which people already have to pay up to 50% of their personal monthly income (if they live alone). In addition, inflation continues, and the prices of all food and essential goods are rising. All of this imposes an additional burden on working people.

Militarily, tensions on the front lines with pro-Russian fighters continue. In recent months, forces of the puppet regime have resumed mortar and artillery shelling of settlements near the front line, killing or injuring civilians. Ordinary people in these places and throughout the country have been living in fear of a new "big" war for years. But what has been happening in the Donbass and Crimea since 2014 has ruined the lives of tens of thousands of working people. The total number of refugees from these regions is now 1.5 million.

Those in power continue their policy of "decommunization" and banning communist propaganda, so our organization must be especially careful in its work. The possibilities for legal activities are severely limited. Nevertheless, we strive to maintain work at both the central and regional levels - including interaction with businesses and trade unions, mass structures, discussions, and educational activities. We also organize regular events on ICOR days of struggle, where we talk about ICOR, its goals and its importance, among other things.

Netherlands (RM)

1) The Netherlands is a small imperialist country where a handful of large monopolies like Shell, Unilever, AKZO Nobel and ING control the state and are the main enemy of the Dutch working masses. The Netherlands was a republic and then became a kingdom; it was installed about 200 years ago by Great Britain and Prussia as a buffer state against revolutionary and Napoleonic France. This explains the very close ties of large monopolies like Shell and Unilever, and finance capital in general, to Great Britain. Dutch imperialism needs alliances with other imperialists to advance its own goals.

When the Bureau of Statistics reports an all-time high in employment, it fails to mention that the majority of workers in flexible, part-time jobs remain disadvantaged. There is a growing gap between high-skill, high-wage, relatively secure jobs on the one hand and the flexible, low-wage precarious jobs (or even day laborers) on the other.

During the last financial crisis, two large Dutch banking groups were restricted in their ability to operate by order of the EU committee (i.e., the larger European imperialists). Brexit is now leading to a further weakening of Dutch imperialism. The Dutch government is looking for new allies against the domination of Germany and France in Europe, while trying to maintain its relations with Anglo-American finance capital.

The recent parliamentary elections in the Netherlands show a further fragmentation of parliamentary politics. With 19 parties now in parliament, a record has been set. This fragmentation shows that many people are on the search. There is a further polarization between the left and the right - with the left-wing opposition mainly to be found outside parliament on the streets. A new government has not yet been formed because of this. A risk for the rulers - the people can get the idea that it also works without!

2) Colleagues in a wide variety of sectors are taking the opportunity to take to the streets again to develop their struggles with renewed vigor. They feel how the capitalists are seizing on the corona pandemic to abolish achievements that were a thorn in their side even without corona.

Young people are the most active - not only in the fight against climate catastrophe - they want '"system change" in the whole of society. How this should look like - there will be many disputes about that. More and more people are experiencing, in one way or another, some of the oppression, arbitrariness and inequality resulting from it. But it depends on whether we criticize the developments from a right-wing or left-wing point of view.

3) Along with ports and post healthcare is a firm part of our work. So we started a third workers' newssheet: “Overdracht” with which we are now gaining experience. In actions and demonstrations in which we participate or which we are organizing to a large extent, our comrades are the ones who are acting against restrictions of bourgeois-democratic rights. Our organization is growing (also with young people) – though we have also lost comrades during the lockdown. We have to fight for every single, new comrade-in-arms.

Rode Morgen – The Netherlands

Portugal (UMLP)

In recent years in Portugal, workers have fallen victims to the ever-increasing competition from monopolies around the world, now accelerated by the pandemic, through increased labour exploitation. The reactionary measures of Costa government's management of the pandemic have affected workers drastically, pushing the crisis burden onto the backs of workers, all done for the greed of increasing their profit margins, expropriating more and more of the earnings of our labour. Already today, 1 in every 5 workers receives the minimum wage and this number has tripled, where more than half of Portuguese workers work overtime to survive the low wages or work double shifts.

Now, the national bourgeoisie, by the hand of the 42 companies listed on the Portuguese stock exchange index, has announced "restructurings" that will lead to the dismissal of 1.1 million workers in the coming years in the name of profit maximization, telling us that automation or robotization is to blame. Well, the new technology gives the opportunity to shorten working hours and spread the existing work over more shoulders, thus creating more jobs, with a 30-hour week without loss of wages. One after another, the big companies, announce and carry out plans for massive layoffs. These "restructuring processes", forced by the monopolies that completely subordinate, economically and politically, the state and hold their power over all of society, cost us thousands of jobs, tearing up collective contracts and sanitizing workers with thousands of forced "voluntary" layoffs and dismissals. These attacks on labour have been thoroughly and strategically planned by the government - merged with the monopoly organs - and employer corporations involved, supported by the bourgeois parliamentary parties. Against these attacks, we have the offensive demand of the struggle for a 30 Hours work week, without loss of wages, and the struggle for every job.

We are witnessing the fall in living conditions, moral harassment, attacks on the right to strike with the use and abuse of civil and military requisition, criminalization and violent attacks on union work, the misappropriation of Social Security money - where workers cash in to pay for retirement and unemployment benefits - to save the bourgeoisie and its companies, emigrants with forced labour in fields,...

Also nature does not escape the thirst for profit, where crimes against Nature and Humanity are committed with the high patronage of the imperialist ecologism of the European Union and its "European Battery Alliance" - with the undeniable support of the PS/Costa government and all the local mayors - to open pit lithium mines and exploit workers and natural resources, in order to compete with China and the USA for markets domination. This imperialist environmentalism, with its lies of the "Green Deal", "Green Mining" and Environmental Impact Assessments (EIAs), only serves to feed the bellies of the monopolies. What the EU Commission wants is a remastered edition of the already defeated fraud of imperialist ecologism that compatibilizes economy with capitalist ecology.

As Marxist-Leninists, we have always affirmed that the workers interests and the oppressed masses are antagonistic and irreconcilable with capital interests, thus openly and frontally rejecting class collaboration, we do not escape these attacks either. At the end of March of this year, the Portuguese media was swept by an anti-communist wave that turned into a tsunami in the course of April. The issue was whether communists eat children - preferably their own children. This new edition of openly reactionary anti-communism, which was held back for some time but is now being revived, shows that modern anti-communism is also in crisis. However, the general line of anti-communism in Portugal is to call "Marxism" to everything that is not directly proto-fascist or fascist. Modern anticommunism is, at this point, the predominant one in Portugal. Its relatively most effective form is rational anti-communism, defending capitalism with all its consequences as "no alternative" and painting a chilling picture of Marxism-Leninism, defending "freedom of ideology." We know that as long as there is capitalism there will be the danger of fascism because bourgeois parliamentarianism carries it in its womb. Down with anti-communism as a source of fascist ideology!

In short, our small Marxist-Leninist nucleus has proved in this period of one year since our foundation that, despite all limitations imposed by the bourgeois management of COVID pandemic, what yeast revolutionaries are made of. Despite the few forces available for mass work, we have managed to spread and take our political line to all the stages of major popular and labour mass demonstrations. Our mass work, despite all difficulties, was absolutely positive, having thickened our ranks, increased the contacts and people who consult and subscribe to our communiqués and our line, always defending the true Marxist-Leninist line.

Germany (MLPD)

1. Economic and political development:

Since 2018, a new world economic and financial crisis has erupted, which significantly intensified in interaction with the corona pandemic in 2020. On this basis, we analyze the accelerated tendency towards an overall societal crisis of the imperialist world system.

In Germany, industrial production plummeted by 29.8% in April 2020. Since a slump in February/March 2020, the DAX share price has risen by 39% to ever new all-time highs. At times, this has also had a crisis-dampening effect. However, the factors of the world financial crisis have become considerably more explosive. The imperialists are relying on unprecedented crisis management, but their main focus is on national issues. Thus, the dominant role of speculation in the global economy is massively increasing and investments are faltering considerably: In Germany, investments in equipment fell by 11.3% in 2020 compared to the previous year and are now below the level of 2016. The contradiction between rampant stock market prices and crisis-ridden industrial production is intensifying.

In the winter of 2020/21, a new crisis of confidence emerged that tended to further destabilize the prevailing conditions. The regional flood catastrophe in July 2021 with over 120 deaths, the disaster of NATO's Afghanistan mission and the crisis of crisis management on corona further intensify this crisis. Until shortly before the election, those in power did not succeed in regaining trust on a sustained basis. On the contrary, it is a real crisis election campaign, in which, however, the petty-bourgeois-parliamentary and petty-bourgeois-anti-communist mode of thinking is mobilized. In contrast, the Internationalist Alliance, in which the MLPD participates, was able to further anchor and strengthen itself in the polarization.

2. Development of the workers' and people's struggles

In 2020, quantitative participation in the workers' and people's struggles declined sharply under the impact of the corona pandemic and temporary assembly bans. But the class-struggle core consolidated, for example, in fighting through May Day 2020, which the MLPD was able to expand into an often leading role on May Day 2021.

The share of workers' struggles in the total number of struggles increased. Trade union consciousness has strengthened, most recently in spring 2021 with 1 million participants in the IG Metall warning strikes. The struggle for workers' unity in East and West and for the reduction of working hours to 35 hrs/week with full wage compensation has revived. The negatively oriented class collaboration policy is under criticism as it has not been for a long time, and the struggle over the mode of thinking for the right conclusions is unfolding. Comrades of the MLPD often enjoy the highest respect in the factories - but are also fought against accordingly.

In the struggle against a liquidationism in society as a whole, the MLPD also participated in the demonstrations of Fridays for Future and developed its environmental policy profile; it conquered the new field of proletarian refugee policy.

3. Development in party building

In 2021 the 11th Party Congress of the MLPD took place. It underlined the success of generation change in the party leadership from Stefan Engel to Gabi Fechtner.

A basic course-setting since the foundation of our party was the fundamental importance of the struggle as regards world outlook. Since then we could consolidate continuously. We have been fighting a creeping tendency towards displacement of the ideological aspect in our party work. The “book of the hour” for that is our new publication “The crisis of bourgeois ideology and of anticommunism”. It is directed towards the struggle against all versions of anticommunism which has become the main obstacle in consciousness building of the masses since the open crisis of reformism and modern revisionism. Against this background it is very important that the MLPD could strengthen its ranks quantitatively in the last years as well as regarding the education of its members and cadres and could overcome its relative isolation caused by those in power.

Bulgaria (BKP)

Last year's mass anti-government protests were petty-bourgeois in character and mainly directed against corruption. As a result, the governing coalition between GERB and the Patriots lost much of its influence. As a result, the "Patriots" were unable to overcome the threshold clause to enter the new parliament in the regular parliamentary elections in April 2021. GERB remains the largest parliamentary group, but with far fewer deputies than before and isolated from all others. Second was a newly formed populist party of a well-known TV presenter under the name "There is such a people" (ITN). The Socialist Party (BSP) was third. A total of 6 factions entered parliament. Three of them (ITN and two smaller parties) declared themselves parties of protest, against the status quo, embodied in their view by GERB, the Turkish party and BSP. The confrontation, especially between the "protest parties" and GERB, was very sharp, but the contradictions among the "protest parties" also made it impossible to form a government. Thus, this parliament was dissolved after only 8 sessions and new elections were held in July.

This time, ITN became the largest faction with a very small lead over GERB; BSP came third, followed very closely by the traditional bourgeois parties. The same 6 factions entered parliament. ITN wanted to form a minority government with 65 of 240 deputies, but because of its arrogant behavior it was not supported by the other "protest parties." The BSP was already recognized as an anti-GERB force. But its attempt to form a government also failed due to lack of support from ITN. So this parliament was also dissolved and in November we go to elections for the third time this year - this time together with the presidential election. In the meantime, two ministers from the provisional government, who became popular through their criticism of GERB, have founded a new party, which according to sociology will have a leading role in the next parliament. Because of their indecent behavior, ITN has lost support. So GERB will probably have the strongest faction again, but still isolated from all others. All parties claim that this time there will be a formation of a government.

For the April elections, we have called on all "communist" parties to participate together in the elections so that we can collect the 2500 signatures necessary for admission to the elections. The Party of Bulgarian Communists (PBK) proposed that this participation take place under our name, so that we could get state funding (when a party applies to the elections, it gets funding if it reaches 1% of the votes, and a coalition needs 4% for that). But after that, the PBK leadership decided to apply on its own and failed. The Workers and Peasants Party (BRSP) also failed to honor the agreement, and BRPK (an ICOR member) collected only a few signatures. Thus, we could not collect the required signatures. The July elections were early and there were only 9 days to collect signatures - for us this is impossible and we did not try. The PBK joined the coalition around an ex-prime minister (chancellor) of the BSP. It has blocked our access to this coalition. When we got acquainted with their ideas, we found out that it is a petty-bourgeois nationalist coalition, and we have no place there.

The November elections are also early, so the time to collect signatures was again very short. That's why we reached an agreement in advance with BRSP and BTR (a party that ran independently in July and only got about 4000 votes). But both parties did not keep the agreement and did not provide signatures. This is also true for BRPK. So, we could collect only 1900 signatures and we will not participate in these elections either. So, in the future we have to strengthen our own organization and rely only on our own forces.

Schweiz (MLGS)

Wirtschaftliche Entwicklung

Im April 2020 wurden über eine Million Menschen in Kurzarbeit geschickt, das entspricht rund 20 % der 5 Millionen Werktätigen. Noch heute sind rund 160 000 Menschen wegen der Corona Krise in Kurzarbeit. In den letzten 10 Jahren entstanden rund 500 000 neue Vollzeitstellen. Die Bevölkerung wuchs im gleichen Zeitraum um rund 800 000 Menschen auf 8.6 Millionen. Die Arbeitslosigkeit in der Schweiz stieg mit der Neuorganisation der internationalen Produktion, Anfang der 90 iger Jahre, auf mehrere Prozent. Zurzeit liegt die Arbeitslosenquote nach internationalem Vergleich, bei rund 4.8 Prozent, bzw.125 000 Erwerbslosen. Geriet letztes Jahr die Schweiz in eine Negativinflation von bis zu 1.3 Prozent im letzten Sommer, so stieg sie dieses Jahr wieder auf 0.7 Prozent.

Klima Entwicklung

Auch in der Schweiz wird der Übergang zu globalen Klimakatastrophe immer deutlicher. Verheerende Stürme reisen selbst in den Städten hunderte Bäume um, Dächer stürzen unter den Regenmassen zusammen. In einigen Gebieten Zürichs hat sich der Baumbestand halbiert nach einem Sturm. Bergstütze und Erdrutsche nehmen bedrohlich zu, immer mehr Gletscher gehen massiv zurück und werden als „Tot“ erklärt. Überschwemmungen nehmen deutlich zu und die Massivität der Wetterextreme sind erste Vorboten der Klimakatastrophe. Trockenheit und Wassermangel auf der einen Seite und Starkregen und Überschwemmungen auf der anderen Seite nehmen für die Landwirtschaft und damit für die Ernährungsgrundlage der Bevölkerung bedrohliche Formen an. 5 vor 12 ist vorbei!

Klimastreik

Waren noch vor der Pandemie wöchentlich 10000ende vor allem Jugendliche auf der Strasse, um für die Abwendung der drohenden Klimakatastrophe zu demonstrieren, so war dies während der ersten 1,5 Pandemiejahren kaum mehr möglich zu demonstrieren. Erst mit den Impfungen beginnend anfangs dieses Jahres, nehmen die Proteste auch wieder zu. Wenn auch noch nicht in diesem Ausmass.

Frauenbewegung

Der Frauenstreik mit über einer halben Million Frauen im Jahre 2019 knüpfte an den 1.Frauenstreik von vor 25 Jahren an. Trotz Pandemie nahmen 2021 rund 120 000 am Frauenstreik teil. Er zeigte auf, das trotz Gleichstellungsparagrafen in der Verfassung, die bürgerliche Gleichstellung von Frau und Mann noch weit entfernt ist. Frauenlöhne sind im Schnitt immer noch fast 20 Prozent niedriger, nach wie vor tragen die Frauen die Hauptlast der Reproduktionsarbeit. Und ebenso spielt der Angriff auf das Frauenrentenalter eine gewichtige Rolle. Bereits 2019 scheiterte die AHV-Rentenreform an der Abstimmungsurne wegen der Angleichung, wegen der Anhebung des Frauenrentenalters. Trotzdem versuchen die Herrschenden es nun wieder, erneut das Pensionsalter auf 65 zu erhöhen.

Covid 19

Mit über 11 000 Covidtoten, bei einer Bevölkerung von 8,7 Millionen, das sind 0,013 %der Bevölkerung, liegt die Schweiz im europäischen Schnitt. Im Vergleich zu Frankreich 0,018 %, Italien 0,0222 %, Indien 0,0033. (Zahlen John Hopkinsuniversität). Die letzten 1,5 Jahre gibt es mit der Coronakrise eine Polarisierung, es geht nicht um impfen oder nicht. In der Frage ist das starke Misstrauen in die Regierung zu Tage getreten. Um den bereits vor der Coronakrise beginnenden Massenprotesten entgegen zu wirken, nutzen die Herrschenden die entstehenden Widersprüche in folge der Pandemie und bauen ultrareaktionäre Faschistischen Stosstrupps der Querdenker und Coronaskeptiker auf. Der Staat und die internationalen Monopole fürchten in dieser Situation, dass sich die Massen nach neuen Alternativen umschauen. Die Polizeigewalt ist gestiegen, rigoros werden zunehmend nicht bewilligte Proteste nieder geprügelt. Aber auch der Antikommunismus in linken Mäntelchen durch Trotzkist*innen und co und die Angriffe auf die MLGS nehmen massiv zu. All das ist Ausdruck der Defensive der Herrschenden.

In der Situation gibt es für die MLGS neue Chancen uns, ICOR und den Sozialismus zu propagieren.

Nordkurdistan-Türkei (BP (NK-T))

Die imperialistische Welt versinkt in die Barbarei!

Überall die gleiche Heuchelei!

Die herrschenden reden von Frieden, gleichzeitig bewaffnen sie sich bis zum äußersten, und bereiten sich vor für einen neuen Weltkrieg vorbereitet. Budgets zugeteilt Kriegsrüstung bricht neue Rekorde jedes Jahr.

Sie reden von der Freiheit, unter dieser Vorwand werden imperialistische Annektionen und Kriege geführt.

Sie reden von der Demokratie und dabei werden die unterschiedlichsten Anlässe ausgenutzt um das Regieren im „außerordentlichen Zustand“ zum Normalfall zu machen. Es zeigt sich immer deutlicher, dass die bürgerliche Demokratie nichts anderes ist, als die Diktatur des Kapitals auf die Arbeiterklasse und die Arbeiter.

Sie heucheln über Menschenrechte und Demokratie gegenüber Regierungen anderer Länder, und sind dabei an nichts weiter interessiert, als sie unter ihre eigenen Kontrolle zu bringen. Aktuelle Machtspiele um Kuba ist ein weiterer Beispiel dafür!

Ökologie, Gleichheit, Menschenrechte, Frauenrechte , die Rechte der unterdrückten Nationen, das Recht, ihre eigenen Staaten zu etablieren, usw. alles artet in den Munden der Bürgerlichen zu leeren Phrasen, oder sie werden missbraucht um das imperialistische System zu „reformieren“, bzw. zu stabilisieren.

Die Umweltkatastrophen und der Klimawandel werden nun selbst von den bürgerlichen Regierungen als reale Bedrohung anerkannt und ihre bürgerlichen Wissenschaftler empfehlen Projekte „um die Welt zu retten“! Das imperialistische Ausbeutungssystem ist gezwungen, einige Sofortmaßnahmen zu ergreifen, um seine Existenz zu erhalten.

Es gibt kein Unterschied zwischen verschiedener Lager der Herrschenden!

In unseren Ländern Nordkurdistan-Türkei ist nach wie vor der Kampf zwischen verschiedenen Lager der herrschenden Klassen vorherrschend.

Die Schritte um die faschistische Diktatur in die reaktionäre bürgerliche Demokratie zu führen, wurden in April 2015 mit der Beendigung des „Friedensprozess“ bezüglich Kurdischen Befreiungskampfes apruppt eingestellt und es wurde wieder zu offener Kriegspolitik zurückgekehrt. Kriegsführung „im Land“, „ in der Region und die Welt“ das ist die Politik der türkischen Bourgeoisie. Diese Politik ist eigentlich das Wachstum- und Expansionspolitik der türkischen Bourgeoisie.

Dem türkischen Staat gelingt es weitgehend die Widersprüche in der imperialistischen Welt auszunutzen um den Kapitalismus in der Türkei zu entwickeln. Die türkische Bourgeoisie als Ganze will wachsen, sich stärken und expandieren in der Region und in der Welt. In dieser Frage gibt es kein Unterschied der verschiedenen Lager der Herrschenden. Die Unterschiede sind lediglich in der Hinsicht, wie man sich diesen Zielen annähert, welche die nächsten Schritte sind.

Die durch TÜSIAD vertretene, mit westlichem Kapital verwobene sogenante „Istanbuler“ Großbourgeoisie schätzt die von MHP unterstützte Politik der AKP / Erdogan-Regierung als eine abenteuerliche Politik ein. Dieses Kapital Bündnis verwarnt die Regierung sich nicht von Westen zu entfernen. Der Diskurs um „Demokratie“steht hier als Mittel für die Verbundenheit mit westlichem Imperialismus. Sie bestreben eine reaktionäre bürgerliche Demokratie, die immer auch mit dem Faschismus einhergeht.

Dem gegenüber steht durch MÜSIAD vertretene Großbürgerliche Lager mit dem politischen Islam, der eine Ausbreitung der heimischen und nationalen Kapitals mit eigenen wirtschaftlichen Interessen bestrebt. Die eine Seite ist für das Fortbestehen des laizistischen, kemalistischen Diktatur; die anderen Seite betreibt mit dem politischen- kulturellen Islam, dem Ottomanismus und eine sogenannte „Gleichgewichts- Politik“, d.h. des Gleichgewichts des Imperialismus. Die Kämpfe verlaufen hauptsächlich zwischen diesen beiden Lagern und die Forderungen der Massen nach besseren Lebensbedingungen und nach Demokratie werden von beiden Seiten für ihren Machtkämpfen instrumentalisiert.

Die bürgerliche Opposition fordert schon die ganze Zeit vorzeitige Wahl, bzw. „sofortige“ Wahlen. Nach den letzten Kommunalwahlen hatte die AKP-MHP Regierung in wichtigen Großstädten die Wahl verloren. Daraufhin wurden Theorien entwickelt, dass die Regierung spätestens Juni 2020 zu vorgezogenen Wahlen gezwungen sein wird. Entgegen durch die Opposition geführten Kampagnen hällt Erdogan daran fest, dass die Wahlen Juni 2023 stattfinden werden. Eine vorgezogene Wahl ist nach jetzigem Gesetz nur möglich, wenn das Parlament mit zwei Drittel Mehrheit des Parlaments (400 Abgeordnete) sich selbst auflöst oder mit der Entscheidung des Präsidenten aufgelöst wird. Das heißt praktisch, vorgezogene Wahlen sind nur mit Präsidenten Erdogans Wille möglich!

Die Anti-Erdogan Lager bestrebt, durch ein breites Bündnis Erdogans Präsidentschaft zu beenden. Das ist nur unter der Bedingung möglich, dass die HDP Stimmen für den gemeinsamen Bündniskandidaten abgegeben werden.

Die Präsidentschaftswahlen werden aber an der Situation der Arbeiter und werktätigen Massen nichts verändern. Hier eine Veränderung zu erwarten ist eine Illusion. Leider wird das heute durch die der Mehrheit der Arbeiter nicht erkannt. Das Problem ist, dass die Mehrheit der revolutionären Organisationen, die die revolutionären Arbeiter darüber aufklären sollten, selbst der Illusion verfallen sind. Es wird nicht vehement der Standpunkt einer revolutionären Alternative vertreten um außerhalb des bürgerlichen „anti-Erdogan“ Lager die eigene Macht der Arbeiter und Werktätigen zu stärken.

Viele Demokraten und Revolutionäre vertreten, dass es heute darauf ankommt, dass Erdogan geht! Zu diesem Zweck sollte der Kandidat gegen Erdogan in der zweiten Runde der Wahlen unterstützt werden. Diese Argumente zeugen von Verzweiflung und führen letztendlich dazu, dass man mitschwimmt und sich vor die Karren der Bourgeoisie spannen lässt.

Ja, es ist heute in der Türkei nicht möglich, mit eigenen Kandidaten und mit einem revolutionären Programm an den Wahlen sich zu beteiligen. Unsere Schlussfolgerung ist aber, dass wir dafür Bewusstsein schaffen müssen unter den Arbeitern und werktätigen Massen. Wir müssen unser eigenständiges revolutionäres Programm als Alternative verkünden. Die Revolution als Mittel und Sozialismus propagieren.

„Alles andere ist Quark!“