PARTIT KOMUNISTA MALTI: December 2013

Thursday, December 19, 2013

“Same sex couples have a right to raise children”

The Malta Communist Party appeals to the government to maintain adoption rights as an integral part of the law on civil union. Members of Parliament who are pushing their moralist agenda are doing so unjustly. They are using discriminatory language against same sex couples who are already raising children of their own.

The Commissioner for Children is obliged to stop all discriminatory language used in Parliament with reference to statements implying that children raised by same sex couples are being raised in an unhealthy or unfit environment.

Thursday, December 12, 2013

Solidarity with Ukranian Communists

The Central Committee has sent this message of solidarity to the Communist Party of Ukraine.

"The Central Committee of the Communist Party of Malta stands behind the Communist Party of Ukraine and all other left and progressive forces, who are under the direct threat from the fascist that are causing unrest in Ukraine. The Party in Malta have appealed to the Government of Malta to keep away from backing the European Union position, which is conveniently ignoring its own rules about democratically elected governments and only seeking its own interest disregarding the vast majority of the Ukrainian people who support the Ukrainian Government.

Towards this aim we had issued a press statement on the 5th of December and this could be seen on the party's blog www.communistpartymalta.blogspot.com and also on http://www.di-ve.com/news/government-should-keep-away-ukraine%E2%80%99s-internal-policies-%E2%80%93-communist-party-malta a local internet news network.

The Party expresses its solidarity with the Communist Party of Ukraine in this moment when US and EU imperialism are posing threats and are using a small fascist minority to bring down a democratically another elected government, which is not to their liking."

Friday, December 6, 2013

A GREAT LOSS

We Pay Tribute to Nelson Rolihlahla Mandela (18 July 1918 – 5 December 2013.) We mourn the passing away of this great leader, a revolutionary, and a great fighter for people rights who was imprisoned for 27 years for his beliefs in by the then Apartheid regime in South Africa. His loss is felt all around the world not just by the people of South Africa. Farewell Madiba we will not forget you

Thursday, December 5, 2013

Message to KKE on the occasion of the 95th Anniversary from its foundation.

"The Central Committee of the Communist Party of Malta has sent this following message to the Communist Party of Greece on the occasion of the 95th Anniversary from its foundation:

The Communist Party of Malta salutes the Communist party of Greece on the occasion of the 95th Anniversary from its foundation.

The Communist Party of Greece which was founded just after the Great October Revolution, has always adhered to the principles of Marxism Leninism and has since then, ceaselessly struggled, for the full emancipation of the working class in Greece, and had always been staunch internationalist, on the forefront, and gave its’ support in all international struggles, since its inception.

KKE had been the leader in the struggle against fascism in the 1930’s struggling against the Metaxas dictatorship, and during the Second World War were it was at the forefront of the armed struggle against the fascist occupation of Greece through the armed resistance that the EAM-ELAS guerrillas offered to the fascist NAZI invader.

Again in the 1946-1949, KKE struggled against the US and British imperialism who were intervening in Greece to help the bourgeoisie who started a civil war in Greece to wrest from the working class the gains and victories that resulted from the struggle and sacrifices made by the Greek people during the war.

The Communist Party of Greece was the catalyst for the unity within the international communist movement after the Gorbachev debacle, which led to the counter revolution that brought down the USSR and the Socialist Community in Eastern Europe.

Through these ceaseless struggles of the KKE today the International Communist Movement is marching forward under the banner of Solidnet, struggling for the downfall of the capitalist system.

A system that is in deep crises, trying unsuccessfully to save itself, by bringing about, misery, to the working populations throughout Europe, by the imposition of austerity measures.

Here again through PAME the KKE is leading the fight back in the defence of the Greek Workers, other Communist and Workers Parties are following its shining example.

On its 95th Anniversary the Central Committee of the Communist Party of Malta sends its warm fraternal greetings to the Leadership, the Central Committee and all the cadres of the Communist Party of Greece.

We are sure that KKE will be steadfast in the oncoming struggles and will continue to lead the working class in Greece to its final victory for the attainment of a Socialist society where exploitation of men by men will finally come to an end.

Long live Marxism-Leninism

Long Live the Communist Party of Greece".

“Government should keep away from Ukraine’s internal policies” – Communist Party of Malta

The Communist Party of Malta is concerned by the events taking place in Ukraine. The party supports the stand being taken by the Communist Party of Ukraine in condemning the violence committed by the authorities, and the so-called opposition.

“The Opposition against the government is made up of conservatives and extremists. The extreme forces openly represent far right and anti-Semitic positions. They regard Nazi collaborator Stepan Bandera as a national hero and are members of the European Alliance of National Movements, which is led by the French National Front politician Bruno Gollnisch and includes Hungary’s Jobbik Party and the British National Party.

“The European Union and the US should stop supporting the Opposition and should not promote another orange revolution. The Ukrainian government was elected democratically therefore Western powers should stop interfering.”

The Communist Party of Malta appeals to the Government to show respect towards the democratically elected president Viktor Yakunovich on his state visit to Malta next week. The Maltese Government should not interfere with Ukraine’s internal policies.

"Government should not allow military ships from visiting Malta” – Communist Party of Malta

“Government’s position to allow HMS Bulwark to visit Malta is condemnable. It appears that the government is continuing with the same policies of the previous administration, which had rendered Malta a lackey to western military powers”, stated the Communist Party of Malta.

The Party reiterates that “the government foreign policies should be neutral and one that safeguards peace. Harbouring of warships in Malta go directly against this principle which is enshrined in the Maltese Constitution”.

“The government has the responsibility to implement different policies from the previous government, and should strengthen the political legacy inherited from Dom Mintoff”.

Wednesday, December 4, 2013

Maltese Activists appealed to Italian Justice Minister to Free left activist Bahar Kimyongur

Activists from the Communist Party of Malta and the NGO Garden of Knowledge have send this following appeal to the Italian Minister of Justice, Anna Maria Cancielleri.

The Communist Party of Malta and the organisation Garden of Knowledge are appalled at the arrest of left activist Bahar Kimyongür, a Belgian National of Turkish origin in Bergamo by the Italian Security Police(DIGOS) while on his way to attend a conference about the situation in the “Middle East”.

Bahar Kimyongür, who has already been tried in Holland and Belgium, and won his appeal against the extradition order by the Turkish government, should not face another ordeal of an extradition threat. We appeal on the good sense of the Italian state to set Bahar Kimyongür free, as in a democracy it is an accepted fact that criticizing the policy of a country is not a crime.

Although the Turkish Government is democratically elected it is a known fact that the practices of the Turkish Government are not always democratic, and this has been a stumbling block in Turkey’s attempt to join the European Union. So again we call upon the Italian Government to release Bahar Kimyongür and let him go unhindered.

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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