BELARUS: Statements-reactions by Communist and Workers Parties

With statements and declarations Communist and Workers Parties from Europe and across the world have reacted to the situation in Belarus which remains tense since the presidential elections of August 9th. 

Below you can read a collection of statements issued by CPs in face of the developments in Belarus: 

Click here to read the statement by the CC of the Communist Party of Greece (KKE). 

BELARUS: In the “millstones” of the exploitative system

The opposition to Lukashenko with the old flag of the country,
which was used during the German occupation

The article was published in “Rizospastis” newspaper, Organ of the CC of the Communist Party of Greece (KKE), on 22/8/2020, under the title "BELARUS: In the “millstones” of the exploitative system".

The “baton” of imperialist intervention ended up in Belarus

By Elisaios Vagenas.

On August 10th, the day after the recent Belarus presidential elections, a tanker docked at the port of the Lithuanian city Klaipeda,  carrying 76,000 tons of crude American oil,  ordered by the “last dictator of Europe”, as the western Mass Media likes to call the President of Belarus, Alexander Lukashenko.

Belarus under the threat of a "color revolution"?

The landslide victory (with 80.23% of the votes) of incumbent President Alexander Lukashenko in Belarus’ presidential elections on Sunday sparked violent protests by supporters of the opposition in Minsk and other cities. A protester was killed and dozens were injured following clashes with police forces. 

Opposition leader  Svetlana Tikhanovskaya, who received 9.9% of the votes, refused to accept the results, stating that they were rigged. 

“I consider myself the winner of this election” Tikhanovskaya said in a statement before leaving the country for Lithuania.

Belarus’ white and red flag: A symbol of Nazi collaborationists and counterrevolution

A characteristic of the recent Belarus protests is the use by the demonstrators of the white-red flag. Shortly after the announcement of the elections’ result on August 9th, the streets of Minsk flooded with opposition-backed protestors waving white-red flags. 

But what is the actual meaning of the Belarusian white-red flag and what’s the history behind it?

It was used for the first time by the short-lived anti-Bolshevik Belarusian National Republic (BNR) between March 1918 and February 1919. During the interwar period, it was occasionally used by political and non-political organizations, including the conservative Belarusian Christian Democracy (1927). 

KKE condemns foreign intervention in Belarus, calls the people to organize their own struggle

In a statement issued on Monday 17 August, the Press Bureau of the Central Committee of the Communist Party of Greece (KKE) condemns the foreign intervention in the internal affairs of Belarus and calls the working people to organize their own independent struggle against capitalist barbarity.

The statement, which was published in 902 portal, reads:

Russian Communist Workers' Party on Belarus: The "Belarusian Maidan" must be prevented

In a declaration about the elections and the ongoing protests in Belarus, the Political Council of the CC of the Communist Workers’ Party of Russia - Revolutionary Party of Communists (RKRP-CPSU) points out that a possible “Belarusian Maidan” must be prevented. 

The RKPR-CPSU notes that “the opposition did not recognize the results even before they were announced, even long before the elections”, adding that “it does not really matter whether this right-wing opposition is pro-Western or pro-Russian” because “in any case, it is pro-imperialist”. The Belarusian opposition – states the party – is “clearly nationalistic in nature” and “in many respects similar to the Kiev Maidan”. 

KKE in the European Parliament: Denounces the intervention of EU-NATO-U.S in Belarus

During an extraordinary meeting of the European Parliament's Foreign Affairs Committee regarding the situation in Belarus, the representative of the Communist Party of Greece (KKE) Kostas Papadakis denounced the intervention of the EU, NATO and U.S. in  the country. 

As 902 portal reported, in his speech the KKE MEP pointed out the following:

"From here, we denounce that these days' events in Belarus are linked to the intervention of  the EU, NATO and the U.S. The pretexts of the EU and its allies are the known ones which were used in Syria, Libya, Ukraine, Iraq, etc.

Nostalgia for the USSR- People in former Soviet republics say life was better in Socialism

A new survey, conducted by Russian Public Opinion Research Center (VCIOM), M-Vector, Ipsos, Expert Fikri and Qafqaz in 11 countries of the former Soviet Union, at the request of Sputnik news agency and radio, shows that the residents of 9 out of 11 surveyed former Soviet countries aged over 35 believe that life in the USSR was better than it has been since the breakup of the Soviet Union. 

Also read: Life was better under Communism" says the majority of Russians, Romanians and Eastern Germans.

MOSCOW (sputniknews.com) - Some 64% of respondents in Russia who lived in Soviet times believe that the quality of life in the Soviet Union was better. About 60% of respondents in Ukraine agreed with this statement. The survey showed that the highest rates of agreement with this statement are found among respondents in Armenia (71%) and Azerbaijan (69%). Those respondents who do not remember living in the USSR, those aged 18-24, believe that life has improved since the collapse. Some 63% of young people in Russia think so.

20th IMCWP: All the written contributions by the Communist & Workers' Parties (list)

As the 20th International Meeting of Communist and Workers' Parties (IMCWP) is due to take place in four days, we present all the up-to-date written contributions by the participating Communist and Workers' Parties.

The 20th Congress of the Communist Party of Greece (KKE) kicks off on Thursday in Athens

(Info from 'Rizospastis' / In Defense of Communism ©).

The 20th Congress of the KKE, which has as a major slogan "We strengthen the KKE. For powerful labour movement and social alliance. For the power, For Socialism", begins on Thursday 30th March at the Party's headquarters in Athens. Hundreds of representatives from Party organisations from all over Greece will gather at the KKE headquarters to participate in the works of the Congress which is held between 30th of March and 2nd of April 2017. 

The Congress' works will begin tomorrow at 10 am (local hour) with the presentation of the Central Committee's proposal by the Party's General Secretary Dimitris Koutsoumbas. The opening of the Congress and Koutsoumbas' introductory speech will be transmitted live by the 902.gr portal, the 902.gr webradio as well as from Party's radio station 90,4 FM in Thessaloniki.  

Capitalist Crisis in Spain: Accelerated by the Pandemic and managed by Social Democracy

By the Communist Party of the Workers of Spain (PCTE)

 

Spain is living in 2020 the worst capitalist crisis of 121 its history. The economy is shrinking on double-digit figures; there are millions of unemployed workers, and dozens of thousands of victims dead because of the pandemic.

A superficial glance could determine that the causes of the current crisis are completely due to the effects of the pandemic and the paralysis of economy during confinement. However, the analysis we had made before the pandemic were already predicting the looming of a capitalist crisis, being the Coronavirus actually a catalyst, rather than the cause of it. One that affects the capitalist relationships worldwide and not only its national expressions.

European Communist Initiative: The slogan "Socialism or Barbarity" is more timely than ever

On May 10, 2020, a Teleconference of the parties of the European Communist Initiative was held, with the theme: "The struggle of the Communist and Labor Parties in the conditions of the pandemic and the new capitalist crisis".

The Teleconference was attended by 24 Communist and Labor Parties from Austria, Bulgaria, Croatia, Denmark, France, Greece, Hungary, Italy, Ireland,  Latvia, Lithuania, Malta, Norway, Poland, Russia, Spain, Turkey and Ukraine.

75th Anniversary of the Victory over Nazis: Joint Statement of Communist and Workers' Parties

On the occasion of the 75th anniversary of the historic Victory of May 9, 1945, Communist and Workers' Parties from all over the world issued a joint statement, pointing out the following:

In the name of freedom, peace and truth — Against fascism and war.

The victory over Nazi-fascism in the Second World War is a major event in History, the memory of which must be preserved and defended in the face of repeated attempts at historical falsification aimed at making us forget the decisive role played by the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics, by the communists and by anti-fascists from around the world. 

Russian communists paid tribute to Lenin on his 150th birth anniversary

COVID-19 lockdown could not prohibit Russian communists from paying their tribute to Vladimir Ilyich Lenin on his  150th birth anniversary.

On Wednesday 22 April, tens of workers, members and supporters of the Communist Party of the Russian Federation (CPRF) gathered at Lenin’s Mausoleum in Red Square where they laid flowers, paying their respect to the great revolutionary and political leader.

Joint Statement of Communist and Workers' Parties on the 150th anniversary of the birth of V.I. Lenin

We honor the great revolutionary leader V.I. Lenin, we are committed to continuing his work!

The Communist and Workers' Parties, which co-sign this Joint Statement, would like also in this way to honor a great revolutionary and theorist of scientific socialism, Vladimir Ilyich Lenin, as April 22 marks the 150th anniversary of his birth.

100 years of the Communist International: The declaration of Moscow international conference

On June 1-2 in Moscow there was held international conference “100-years to the Communist International and tasks of the Communist movement today”. 

As a result of discussions and exchange of views on the issues of international cooperation between communist parties a final statement was composed by the participants.

FINAL DECLARATION

«100-years to the Communist International and tasks of the Communist movement today», Moscow, 1 - 2 June 2019.

Washington's dirty war against Nicaragua - The role of NED and USAID

Masked individuals, armed with homemade mortars and bazookas, block avenues, close the main streets, attack state institutions, burn tires, start fires, loot and kill.

To date, approximately 170 people have died as a result of the chaos and violence in Nicaragua. A powerful media campaign follows the events and more than that, openly promotes, falsifies, and multiples them. 

The violent acts are presented as peaceful demonstrations by students, and the press publishes photos of those supposedly killed by the Sandinista government, but just as the truth will come out, the deception is discovered. 

Stalin’s Ghost Haunts Capitalism

A Riposte to Stephen Kotkin’s ‘Stalin: Waiting for Hitler, 1929-1941’

By Raj Sahai*.

Source: Marxism-Leninism today.

Princeton University historian Stephen Kotkin is writing a monumental three-volume biography of Joseph Stalin. Kotkin’s is the latest in a large number of books on Stalin, starting with Isaac Deutscher in 1949. So, why yet another book on Stalin?

Kotkin says Stalin represents a “gold standard” in “personal dictatorship”, and more archival documents are now accessible, so now a definitive biography of Stalin can finally be written. He takes Isaac Deutscher’s three-volume biography of Trotsky as a model for his own work. Published in 2015, Kotkin’s first volume was titled ‘Stalin: Paradoxes of Power 1878 - 1928’. Volume 2, published in November 2017, is titled ‘Stalin: Waiting for Hitler, 1929 – 1941’.

Mikhail V. Popov - Counterrevolution in the USSR (Михаил Попов- Контрреволюция в СССР)

By Mikhail V. Popov.
Len.ru, 10 April 2017.

Solidarity with the Communist Party of Poland (KPP) - Condemn the anticommunist persecutions

Call for the condemnation of the anti-communist persecution in Poland.

Anti-communist persecution against the Communist Party of Poland continues. On 27th of November the court proceedings will restart. The judicial prosecution based on charges of propagating communist ideology in the „Brzask” newspaper and on the party's website continues for two years.

This trial is a part of a campaign made by the government to illegalize the Communist Party of Poland.