PARTIT KOMUNISTA MALTI: September 2012

Thursday, September 27, 2012

An increase in the minimum wage is a worker’s right.

The Communist Party of Malta considers the debate going on with regards the proposal for an increase in the minimum wage. In reality families on a minimum wage income are living in relative poverty. These families are finding it difficult to even pay for the basic necessities, such as energy, gas and other essential items.

“The Government has the responsibility to assure that families on a minimum wage income enjoy a decent standard of living. Many people who are criticising this proposal are all in a better class position, and so they have no right to obstruct this proposal”.

“In a capitalist system the workers are the ones that generate profit and surplus value, and so workers should be treated with dignity. Any opposition against an increase in the minimum wage will result in more flagrant exploitation, as workers will have to work more hours to make ends meet”.

“Workers on a minimum wage income are the mostly employed in precarious jobs, and so a revision in the national minimum wage should be a priority”, concluded the Party.

Friday, September 21, 2012

NATO Warships in Malta breach the Maltese Constitution.

The Communist Party of Malta deplores Government's decision to allow NATO warships to use Malta ’s facilities. This action breaches the Neutrality clause in the Maltese Constitution.

“The harbouring in Malta of the three NATO warships is putting the Maltese population in a dangerous situation, especially when the situation in the North African countries is very unstable” said the Party.

“ Malta should not align with a military block. This visit exposes the fact, that Malta ’s membership in the PfP is contrary to Malta ’s Neutrality”, continues the Communist Party.

The Communist Party of Malta believes that Malta should hold on to a policy of peace and neutrality. This should be enforced by Malta ’s re-activating its membership in the non-aligned movement.

Friday, September 14, 2012

The Communist Party supports the call for Separation of Banks

The Communist Party of Malta criticizes the European Commission proposals regarding the reforming of Banks in Europe, as these proposal are not taking into account that speculation by banks was the cause behind the financial and economic crisis. The European Banking reform is just another neo liberal concept.

The Party states that “the European Union should have separated banks into two categories, one for financial investment and the other for public investment. Speculation should be left to financial institutions and should not benefit from state protection with the taxpayers money. This proposal has also the backing of the European Left Block in the European Parliament”.

“The argument put forward by the European Commission to give the European Central Bank more power to keep banks in check, is a short term vision. A more viable strategy is to separate banks from financial institutions. The Maltese Government should also adhere to this principle”, said the Communist Party.

The Communist Party of Malta supports also the introduction in Europe of the financial transaction tax; public control of the banking sector; and the closure of tax havens. We also are in favour of the eventual nationalisation of banks.

Monday, September 3, 2012

Communist Party Supports the Assad Government in Syria

The Communist Party of Malta recognize the fact that Syria is being destabilized by Islamic terrorists Which are backed by Saudi Arabia behind which US covert organisations are hiding there bloody hands. This method was also used in Libya.

The Communist Party of Malta condemns the undemocratic methods that the Empire use to bring about regime changes, The US has a bloody record in organizing coups against governments that do not submit to its diktat some examples are the Arbenz Government in Gautamala and the Unidad Popular Government Led by Salvador Allende in Chile

Saturday, September 1, 2012

A Call from the Syrians to end tthe aggression against their country

The Communists and other Progressives in Syria are giving full support to the BATH government led by Bashir Assad in face to stave of the invasion of fanatical Islamist terrorists led by Al Qaeda ISIL and other reactionary groups, These thugs who showing no mercy and killing all who stand in their way are not Syrians yet the US claim they are the opposition to the legal government of Syria that enjoys the support of the Syrian Army and has popular country

Syria has a secular constitution unlike other countries in the Middle East minorities enjoy full liberty to practice their religion. The aim of the terrorists is to do away with the present government and install a backward Islamic State. They are supported by Saudi Arabia and financed by the CIA.

The Communist Party of Malta expresses Solidarity with Syrian people in this grave moment.

Some History

An organized Communist Party did not exist prior to 1969. Secret Communist cells existed in various periods from the 1920's onwards, but they were always small in number. Maltese communists militated either in the Communist Party of Great Britain, or in the Partito Comunista Italiano, or worked under cover within the Malta Labour Party, which was also infiltrated by the catholic clergy at that time, in an effort to prevent the Labour Party from taking a Marxist line, notably amongst these infiltrators was Mgr. Michael Gonzi, the future Archbishop of Malta and a faithful servant of the British Crown and a much bitter enemy of Malta’s Liberation Movement in Malta’s struggle for Independence in the late 1950's.
The Civil and ecclesiastical authorities were ever vigilant in their witch hunt, and this culminated in the 1933 sedition trails where a number of dockyard workers and intellectuals were imprisoned for the crime of possessing classical Marxist literature. This however proved to be a great setback for the progressive movement as it took years and years to get back on its feet again
. The major exponent of the bourgeoisie was the Nationalist Party, an irredentist party firmly believing that Malta was a part of Italy that had yet to be redeemed, from English occupation. Its leaders favored the Italian Language to Maltese, and openly shown sympathies towards Mussolini’s fascist Italian state. With the Second World War looming on the horizon the English colonial authorities sacked a Nationalist administration after winning an election with the aid of the Catholic Church who had imposed mortal sin on who ever voted for the Constitutional Party, a pro British Bourgeoisie party. This pro Italy position eventually led, to the internment of the Nationalist Party leadership on breakout of the war. After the Second World War it was the right wing turn now to suffer a setback. The Second World War changed completely the political scene in Malta; however the times were still difficult for the setting up of a Communist party.
At the Mayday celebrations of 1948, where in a dinner held by the Labour Party for the occasion. The English socialist anthem Scarlet Banner was sung by some leftists present of the at this event. This caused an incident which led to affidavits and statements by the leading members of the labour party in parliament and a witch hunt by the Catholic Church paper Lehen Is-Sewwa (The Voice of the Righteousness) and the British Colonial authorities.

DEMOCRACY DID NOT REALLY EXIST IN MALTA PRIOR TO 1971, not under the direct British Colonial rule, neither under the first Nationalist Administration after the 1964 independence. It was not possible to form a Communist Party. It was enough just to receive the "Soviet Weekly" from the United Kingdom, to find yourself watched and tailed by plainclothes policemen, and even taken to be interrogated by the Police. The Maltese Prime Minister in the early 1950’s took a film distributing company to court in order to stop the screening four Soviet films which the then, very harsh censors, had deemed them fit for viewing by the Maltese general public. Even Hollywood ran into trouble, if the story line included communists. One positive aspect was the cold war cinema films of the McCarthy era were banned in Malta. The Civil authorities went into hysteria at the word communist. The then regular Christmas tournament, organized by the Malta Football Association was stopped, because most the teams invited came from Eastern Europe. The catholic oligarchy led by the now Sir Michael Gonzi Archbishop of Malta with its’ network of Parish priests spying on each and every individual in each respective parish operating in a Gestapo fashion. The Main employment on the island depended on the Naval Dockyard, and on the other British Military Bases. The contradiction here was that, to declare oneself Communist would have been sheer madness, as these "devout" Catholics, would have starved you to death, while on the other hand Marxist Ideas spread amongst progressive workers, by the odd English Airmen or Sailors posted on the island.

In the last days of the Catholic hierarchy imposed Dr George Borg Olivier Nationalist administration, as in 1962 and 1966 general elections the church again made use of moral sanctions, now to safeguard its privileges it enjoyed during the colonial period, The Communist party was eventually set up, through the activism of Paul Agius who had returned to Malta, from Australia, who along with other Maltese comrades founded the Communist Party of Malta This event took place around 1969. The party for a short period operated underground but after 1971 when the Borg Olivier administration was finally defeated The Party came out into the open. The Party Membership started to grow Lillian Schiberras Anthony Vassallo, Anthony Baldachinno and others. Evarist Bartolo, Mario Vella, and Alfred Consiglio were amongst the early members
It is not possible to mention all here but many passed through party membership. During the 1970,s the party gave critical support from the left to the Dom Mintoff’s Labour Party administration progressive, anti imperialist policy. The Party supported the policy of neutrality and the demilitarization of Malta, At the time Malta was an important NATO Base. The Communist Party was not prepared to contest the General Elections in 1976 and in 1979 was in support of the closing down of all the military bases in Malta. In 1981.for various reasons, again the party could not contest in the general elections. During the 1980's the party embarked on the road towards electoral campaigns. The party started to publish a monthly newspaper "Zminijietna" and started to prepare for the evantuality of contesting. The Party was now going through its golden age as membership started to grow and things were looking up. On the eve of the 1987 elections Dom Mintoff now a backbencher in the Labour administration proposed amendments to the Maltese constitution, which were accepted unanimously. The electoral rules were changed to suit the two party system and it resulted that small parties now had no chance of surmounting the unofficial 17% threshold. The Central Committee failed to read the writing on the wall. Failed to withdraw from the fray, and contested the 1987 elections with disastrous results. After this debacle, the party went into a period of decline. The events in Eastern Europe of 1989 continued to give the party further blows, where now it was a struggle to survive and keep its archives.
In the mid 1990’s the party slowly started again on the road of being active once again.
NEWS FROM FRATERNAL PARTIES
Communist Festival in Copenhagen, Denmark
A Festival jointly organised by the Communist Party in Denmark (KPiD) and the Communist Party of Denmark (DKP) takes place on Saturday 15. August (12-23) and Sunday 16. August (12-18) in Norrebroparken in Copenhagen (near Nordbanegade). Bus 5A from Central Train Station. Lots of music, speakers from the 2 organising parties and from other organisations, political debates, displays, food, drinks and happiness - everything in favour of the 2 communist papers, Kommunist and Skub.
Everybody visiting Copenhagen are invited!

LINKS
http://www.icsbrussels.org/ICS/2009/Sci09_Available_Papers.htm
http://cubaveritas.blogspot.com/

http://www.havanatimes.org/?p=14368

http://wwwlavienglish.blogspot.com/2010/10/soviet-union-was-born-in-october-1917.html

http://aucpbenglishwebsite.blogspot.com/

http://inter.kke.gr/en/articles/Statement-of-77-Communist-and-Workers-Parties-against-the-Imperialist-Military-Attack-against-Syria/

http://communismgr.blogspot.com.mt

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