Poland: Communist Party decries anti-abortion legislation

In an interview with the International Communist Press, an unnamed leading member of the Communist Party of Poland (KPP) explained the Polish communists’ views on recent women’s rights demonstrations against a harsh government plan to punish women who have abortions.  The representative pointed out that under the old socialist system, women had many rights and opportunities which are denied to them today.  Due to the large number of men who had been killed in the Second World War, Polish women had ended up filling many economic and social roles in which they had not been present before.  This increased the power of women in socialist society. In 1956, Poland legalized most abortions.

But when the socialist system collapsed in Poland in 1989, women began to lose ground due to the loss of social protections and the advance of reactionary patriarchal ideology, and especially the increased influence of the traditional Roman Catholic Church.  The backsliding has involved many things besides abortion restrictions. Now, “economic oppression is mostly directed toward working class women….protesting only against [the] ban [against] abortion is not enough” – it is a matter of class, also.

Madagascar:  Communists celebrate their 58th anniversary

On November 10, the Party of the Congress of the Independence of Madagascar, or AKFM, will celebrate the 58th anniversary of its founding in 1958.  The occasion will be marked on November 12 by various events including political seminars and an exhibition of historic photographs.

Madagascar was ruled by indigenous kingdoms for over a thousand years, achieving unity at the beginning of the 19th Century. The island was invaded and taken over by French colonialists in 1895.              After the Second World War, a movement gained strength in Madagascar to break out from under French rule.  The AKFM took a strong position in favor of full independence and the nationalization of French colonial properties.  Full independence was achieved in 1960.

Dominican Republic: Party Congress for February

The Fuerza de la Revolucion (Revolutionary Force) Party, which is the Communist Party in the Dominican Republic, carried out an action on October 23 in the Loma Miranda National Park, a mountain in the central part of the country.  About 300 students and young workers were in attendance, and participated in discussions about environmental preservation.  There were criticisms of the present government of the Dominican Republic for its unsatisfactory environmental management.

The leaders of Fuerza de la Revolucion also used the occasion to announce that they will be holding their Party Congress in February of next year.

Palestine:  People’s Party condemns repression of sympathizers in Europe

The Palestinian People’s Party, one of two communist parties in Palestine, has issued a statement sharply criticizing recent repressive measures which some European governments have taken against individuals and organizations in their countries who have shown solidarity with the Palestinian people by supporting trade boycotts against the Israeli government.  The Palestinian People’s Party used the occasion to thank all people worldwide who have showed solidarity to Palestine, and called for all communist and progressive parties and movements to “support the Palestinian people’s rights and stop injustice and enable us to restore our legitimate rights, particularly the right to establish an independent state on the borders of June 4 1967 with East Jerusalem as its capital and solving the refugee problem on the basis of UN Resolution 194”.

Photo: Telesurtv

Comments