Russia: Communists advance in Moscow city elections
On September 8th, the Communist Party of the Russian Federation registered a significant advance in elections to the Moscow City Duma, Moscow’s city council.
Of the 45 Duma seats in contention, the communists took a total of 13, eight more than they previously held. The gain appears to have come at the expense of the United Russia party of President Vladimir Putin, which, while retaining a slim majority with 25 seats, lost thirteen.
The neoliberal Yabloko party held on to all its four previous seats, and Just Russia went from zero to three. Two smaller parties were wiped out. In the leadup to the election, there were protest demonstrations about the exclusion of independent candidates, and other things.
South Africa: Communist Party denounces xenophobic violence
The South African Communist Party (SACP) has sharply denounced xenophobic violence which has taken place in a number of places in this country, especially in the populous provinces of Gauteng and Kwazulu-Natal, in recent days. Immigrants from other, mostly much poorer African countries have been targeted for violence against persons and property, accused, among other things, of taking the jobs that should be for South Africans.
The SACP called for firm action against lawbreakers, but also pointed out that the authority and capacity of the state to act has been eroded by corruption. “Unless drastic action is taken, starting at the highest levels responsible [for the corrupting of state institutions], it will remain almost impossible to restore the integrity and legitimacy of the affected state organs”.
Venezuela: CP supports call to prosecute over the issue of the Essequibo region
The Venezuelan Communist Party (PCV) is supporting calls by the country’s president, Nicolas Maduro, for the possible prosecution for treason of Juan Guaidó, the politician the United States is trying to impose as president of this South American country, and two of his associates.
On Friday September 6, a recording surfaced in which it was revealed that Guadó’s group is planning to drop longstanding Venezuelan claims regarding the Essequibo region, now controlled by Guyana, evidently in exchange for British support for Guadó’s pretentions. Today’s Guyana used to be a British colony; the Essequibo region was awarded to Guyana by a biased, British controlled “commission” in the 1899. Since then, Venezuela has claimed the territory, though both countries had agreed to peaceful negotiations to settle the dispute. The PCV stated that the Venezuelan right wing shows its lack of scruples in its efforts to oust the legally elected government and “roll back the people’s conquests achieved through the Bolivarian process”. The PCV states that “…in response to this new assault by imperialism through its lackeys, the communists demand exemplary sanctions against their chief Guaidó and his accomplices for treason against the homeland, and call on city and rural workers to close ranks in defense of the interests of the Venezuelan nation”.
China: Communists discuss strategies of reform
On Tuesday September 10, the General Secretary of the Communist Party of China, Xi Jinping and the party’s Central Committee met to discuss strategies for “deepening overall reform”.
Xi pointed out that to advance further in the institutional reform process, it was necessary to address issues such as institutional obstacles and the need to encourage inter-institutional synergy and innovation in the coming years.
The meeting called for the integrated development of service and advanced manufacturing industries and other things, in both the public and private spheres.
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