South African Communists Hail Court Decision on Nkandla, Warn of “Corporate Capture”

The South African Communist Party (SACP) expressed its agreement with a judicial decision by the nation’s Constitutional Court that obliges president Jacob Zuma to reimburse the state for government money that was used for an expensive remodeling job on his rural residence at Nkandla in Kwazulu-Natal province.   The judgement, given on April 1, is seen by the SACP as an important victory for the rule of law.   The president has promised to implement the court’s decision.  In addition, the SACP has condemned a tendency for corrupt private business interests to “capture” great pieces of the country’s governmental apparatus.   A business family involved in the Nkandla affair, the Guptas, has been particularly problematic, and the SACP calls for Zuma and other officials to shun such relationships. “We cannot, as a country, engage actively in a transformational struggle against monopoly capital to overcome [challenges of de-industrialization, capital flight, squeezing out of small enterprises, and crisis levels of unemployment, poverty, household indebtedness and inequality] without a strategically disciplined and developmentally oriented state”.

 

Communist Party of Poland defies government persecution

The right-wing government of Polish President Andrzej Duda of the Law and Justice  Party is pushing prosecution of members of the Communist Party of Poland.  On March 31, four communist activists were found guilty in a regional court for the crime of propagating communist ideas in the “Brzask” newspaper and on the party’s website.   The Communist Party complains that the procedure of the court was a violation of elementary norms of jurisprudence.  This judgement was rendered on the basis of a law which forbids “fascist or totalitarian” ideas but does not mention communism specifically.  In 2011, Poland’s constitutional court had struck down an earlier  law that had explicitly forbidden communist ideas and symbols, on the grounds that it violated protections of freedom of expression.  The Polish communists are asking for the solidarity of progressive people worldwide.

 

Workers’ Party of Belgium participates in celebration of gay-lesbian-bisexual-transgender rights.

On Saturday May 14, the Workers’ Party of Belgium, one of that country’s two communist parties, participated in Belgian Pride Parade, a major event promoting the rights of lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender people.  According to Belgian Workers’ Party spokesperson Raoul Hedebouw, said his party is committed to fighting for elementary rights and for legislation authorizing same sex marriage and possible sanctions against those who discriminate people on the basis of their sexual orientation.  Studies in Belgium have revealed a high level of thoughts of suicide among transgendered people especially, and 33% have attempted it. The Belgian Workers Party said it is fighting against all forms of racism, homophobia, transphobia and sexism.   

 

French communists denounce imposition by decree of labor “reforms”

Pierre Laurent, the National Secretary of the French Communist Party, has roundly denounced the action of President Francois Hollande and Prime Minister Msnuel Valls in imposing for imposing by executive order (in France called a 49-3 procedure) a deeply unpopular labor reform law which has been the focus of protests by unions, workers and students for months, and which the government has not been able to get passed by the country’s legislature, the National Assembly.  Laurent denounced the use of 49-3, supposedly reserved for emergencies, as a violation of democracy.  The law in question drives at “flexibilization” of French labor by making it easier to fire or lay off workers.  Laurent said “we appeal to the parliamentarians and all citizens who are mobilized against this law, as well as those who are not but are also concerned with respect for democracy and the rights of parliament to demand that the government renounce the use of 49-3 to impose the  labor law”.

 

Peruvian communists prioritize defeat of Fujimori in presidential runoff

Facing a runoff presidential election on June 5, the left in Peru finds itself with an unappetizing choice between two right wing candidates:  Keiko Fujimori of the People’s Force party, the daughter of jailed former dictator Alberto Fujimori, and Pedro Pablo Kuczynski of Peruvians for Change.  The candidate supported by most of the left, Veronika Mendoza, got 19 percent of the vote in the first round on April 10, and thus barely missed being in the runoff against Fujimori instead of Kuczynski.  That would have given Peruvians a clear left-right ideological choice, but both the candidates in the runoff are decidedly right wing.   The Peruvian Communist Party and others have come down on the side of supporting Kuczynski with the goal of “defeating Keiko without any illusions about [Kuczynski].  A factor in this decision by communists, trade unionists and other is the fact that Fujimori’s supporters now also control a majority in the legislature, and so what they fear would be a corrupt and repressive regime could impose its will on Peruvians.  Although Kuczynski is close to international finance capital, the Peruvian left sees him as the “lesser evil”.

 

Communist Party of Chile strengthens leadership collective

On Saturday May 14, the Communist Party of Chile made changes in its Political Bureau that are intended to strengthen this body and to improve coordination between the party and its representatives within the coalition government of President Michelle Bachelet (Socialist Party). Communist Party President Guilliermo Teillier, explained that in the past, it was not customary to include party members who accept government positions in the party’s own leadership collective.  However, “since we are in government for the first time, we have many things to learn.  Furthermore, they will have a direct connection with the executive”  So the minister of Social Development, Marcos Barraza, and the head of Sernam, the country’s main women’s affairs agency, Pascual, have been added to the Political Bureau, along with parliament members Camila Vallejo, Karol Cariola and others.

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