Communists and Solidarity

Communist Parties used to be expected to toe the line laid down in Moscow through the Communist International. Those days have thankfully gone.

However, I noticed that a collection of Communist Parties has signed the following Statement of Communist and Workers' Parties on the occasion of the 3rd Anniversary of the War against Iraq. You can read it for yourself but its key point is to demand the immediate withdrawal of all occupation forces. Not surprising, perhaps but what struck me as odd is that the Iraqi Communist Party and the Kudistan Communist Party have not signed.

I don't know of this is by commission or omission but whilst it is true that Communist Parties need not take the line from the Iraqi parties, it is still somewhat surprising that they don't appear to heed what I assume is a greater caution on their part on the issue of the immediate withdrawal of foreign troops.

The Iraqi Communist Party sees the withdrawal position quite differently from their colleagues.

In a recent article posted at this site, their International Secretary says the following:

“Our Party has called for a timetable for withdrawal of foreign forces together with doubling the efforts to provide the internal political, institutional and security conditions for this withdrawal. The National Accord Conference held in Cairo last November supported such a withdrawal timetable in order to avoid chaos and additional suffering. We believe that this is a realistic agenda and can be implemented in a relatively short period. With the formation of a permanent government, that has already endorsed the idea of "an objective timetable" for withdrawal and speeding up the transfer of security responsibilities to the Iraqi forces, this issue will feature prominently on its agenda.”

As I say, national parties have the right to form their own views but they would benefit from their Iraqi comrades more nuanced and authentic view of the realities of life in Iraq, in the name of solidarity with the Iraqi people.

Gary Kent

Here's the ful statement.

A delegation representing the Communist Party attended the Stop the War Coalition conference in London on Saturday 10 June. The conference agreed plans to hold a major demonstration in Manchester on September 23, the day before the Labour Party conference opens in the same city.

The Communist party is a signatory to the Statement of Communist and Workers' Parties on the occasion of the 3rd Anniversary of the War against Iraq

End of occupation - Solidarity with the Iraqi people

The war against Iraq, launched by the US imperialism and its allies has been going on for three years now.

We call upon the working people to strengthen their struggle and solidarity with the Iraqi people and to stop the threat of new military imperialist interventions in the region.

As communist and workers' parties struggling for peace, social justice, progress and socialism, we support the legitimate right of the Iraqi people to resist occupation.

We reiterate our firm solidarity with their struggle for the end of occupation, for the restoration of the sovereignty and independence, for the liberation and integrity of their country.

We demand the immediate withdrawal of all occupation forces as a prerequisite for a democratic and sovereign Iraq, legal action against the crimes of the invaders and full compensation for the damage they caused.

The parties

Communist Party of Albania

Algerian Party for Democracy and Socialism

Communist Party of Argentina

Communist Party of Armenia

Communist Party of Australia

Communist Party of Bangladesh

Communist Party of Belarus

Workers' Party of Belgium

Communist Workers' Party of Bosnia and Herzegovina

Brazilian Communist Party

Communist Party of Brazil

Bulgarian Communist Party Georgi Dimitroff

Communist Party of Britain

Communist Party of Bulgaria

Communist Party of Canada

Communist Party of Cuba

AKEL, Cyprus

Communist Party of Bohemia and Moravia

Communist Party in Denmark

Communist Party of Denmark

Communist Party of Estonia

Communist Party of Finland

Communist Party of Macedonia

Unified Communist Party of Georgia

German Communist Party

Communist Party of Greece

Hungarian Communist Workers' Party

Communist Party of India

Communist Party of Ireland

Workers' Party of Ireland

Communist Party of Israel

Party of the Italian Communists(PdCI)

Jordanian Communist Party

Workers Party of Korea

Socialist Party of Latvia

Socialist Party of Lithuania

Communist Party of Luxembourg

Party of the Communists of Mexico

Popular Socialist Party of Mexico

Communist Party of Malta

New Communist Party of the Netherlands

Philippine Communist Party (PKP-1930)

Communist Party of Poland

Portuguese Communist Party

Socialist Alliance Party Romania

Communist Party of the Russian Federation

Communist Workers' Party of Russia -

Party of the Russian Communists

New Communist Party of Yugoslavia

Palestinian Communist Party

Communist Party of Slovakia

South African Communist Party

Communist Party of Soviet Union

Communist Party of Peoples of Spain

Communist Party of Sweden

Communist Party of Syria

Syrian Communist Party

Communist Party of Tadjikistan

Communist Party of Turkey

Communist Party of Ukraine

Union of Communists of Ukraine

Communist Party of Venezuela