Canada:  Communists call on government to break with Trump

The Communist Party of Canada has reacted to U.S. President Donald Trump’s imposition of trade sanctions on Canada’s steel and aluminum exports by calling for the Canadian government of Prime Minister Justin Trudeau (Liberal Party) to break the pattern of economic subservience to the United States.  Communist Party leader Liz Rowley reacted to Trump’s moves by saying “It’s time to get out of a one-sided trading relationship where the U.S. coughs and Canada gets pneumonia”.

Rowley pointed out that the U.S. imposed tariffs are going to cost thousands of Canadian workers their jobs: “And why?  Because Liberal and Tory governments over the last 30 years have signed onto trade deals like NAFTA that tie 80% of Canada’s trade to the U.S., leaving workers and the whole country at the tender mercies of U.S. corporate diktat and the whims of unstable and dangerous U.S. administrations like that of Donald Trump.”  Instead, Rowley calls for diversified trade with other countries, including China.

 

Nepal and Zambia:  Nepalese Communists and Zambian Socialists establish relations

On Wednesday May 30, the newly united Nepalese Communist Party, in power in that country, and the Socialist Party of Zambia, signed a “memorandum of  understanding”. Dr. Cosmas Musumali, Secretary General of the Socialist Party of Zambia, signed on behalf of his party while Madhav Kumar Nepal, former General Secretary of the Nepalese Communist Party, signed for his organization.

The signing took place in the context of a meeting of communist and socialist parties in Nepal.  The statement signed by the two parties reads in part: “Following discussion[s] between [the] two parties, the undersign[ed] parties, who believe in Marxism and are committed to the transformation of our respective societies into socialist societies, have decided to establish formal and fraternal relations between our two parties…”

 

Spain: Communist Party salutes fall government, but warns of continued struggle

The Communist Party of Spain has expressed satisfaction with the fall of the scandal plagued, right wing government of former Prime Minister Mariano Rajoy of the People’s Party (PP) and its replacement by a government headed by the new Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez.   Rajoy’s government fell on a motion of no-confidence on May 31 and June 1.  The motion was presented by Sánchez’ Socialist Workers’ Party, PSOE, on account of the grotesque corruption allegations that had characterized Rajoy’s regime.  One hundred eighty members of the Spanish parliament, the Cortes, voted in favor of the no confidence motion, including all 67 deputies from the Communist Party and its allies in the Unidos Podemos bloc.

The Communist Party feels that this was a step forward because it can put the brakes on, not only the corruption (“the government of corruption and looting”), but also seven years of harsh repressive and neoliberal policies.  However, the Communist Party warns that they are not giving the centrist Sánchez and the Socialist Workers’ Party a blank check.  They remind the news government of the massive struggle in the streets of Spain that the Communists helped to lead against Rajoy and his policies—struggle which made the no-confidence vote possible.  “This [new] government can serve to repair what the PP destroyed, but we don’t think that a PSOE government is in a condition to initiate new policies of change to build a more just society…”.  Therefore, they see Mr. Sánchez’s government as an interim one.

 

 South Africa:  Communist Party wants the Cape Town airport named for Chris Hani

The Western Cape branch of the South African Communist Party (SACP) has submitted documents calling for the airport that serves Cape Town to be renamed in honor of liberation hero and former SACP leader Chris Hani.  The party called Hani, who was assassinated by a right wing racist extremist on April 10 1993 “One of the unquestionable giants of our liberation struggle who served our people wholeheartedly.  Hani was murdered in cold blood while he was resolutely pushing for the achievement of our democracy and complete social emancipation”.

The airport is currently not named for any one individual. Under apartheid, it was named in honor of Dr. Daniel Malan, the first apartheid prime minister of South Africa, but that name was changed after liberation.

 

 

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