PARTIT KOMUNISTA MALTI: January 2014

Tuesday, January 28, 2014

Communists condemn European Union's Neoliberal Strategy

The Communist Party of Malta notes that the European Parliament’s Transport committee has rubber stamp plans to further liberalize public transport in Europe. The main aim is to privatise the whole service in Europe.

“This approval has been condemned by the left forces in the European Parliament as a step in the wrong direction for workers, passengers, and democracy. The European Union remains fixed with the neoliberal dogma of selling public utilities for the profit by private speculators.

The Communist Party said that "in Malta, privatization of public utilities has led to higher prices, more social inequality and precarious conditions of employment. Arriva and the gas privatization strengthen the parties’ fundamental belief on this issue.”

“The Maltese Government should not succumb to the failed neoliberal dogma of ‘for sale’ and instead adopt a policy that favours public control of essential utilities.”

Thursday, January 23, 2014

Communists support 'sick leave' proposal

The Communist Party of Malta urges the government to introduce legislation that will give the right to parents to use their sick leave if their children are sick. The Party supports the stand taken by the "Forum Unions Maltin" in condemning the argument brought forward by the Malta Employer’s Association against this proposal.

“Such proposals will strengthen equality between couples and will make it easier for single parents to participate in the labour market. The Malta Employer’s Association should give more priority towards the elimination of precarious jobs in the labour market, rather than objecting to such progressive policies.

The Government should also aim for an increase in the minimum. This will improve the standard of living of minimum wage earners who are living in risks of poverty and social exclusion. Measures that will be of benefit to low income families should also be part of the government’s strategy in its fight against poverty.”

Monday, January 20, 2014

“The Minister for social policy should investigate,” – Communist Party of Malta.

The Communist Party of Malta appeals to the Minister for Social Policy and Family Affairs to investigate if any rights are infringed by the Valletta Local Council with regards the accessibility of public conveniences due to the fact that a fee is being charged for its use.

“The policy by the local council is condemnable as it hinders access to public conveniences to vulnerable people in society. Official statistics show that 16% of the population is living in risk of poverty. While 22.9% are in the risk of social exclusion. The local council should aim to lower social exclusion rather than raise it.”

The Communist Party of Malta stands against payment for the use of public conveniences. The Party reiterates that the competent authority should guarantee accessibility to all.

Wednesday, January 1, 2014

WISHES FOR A HAPPY YEAR TO ALL

“Great victory over neoliberalism in Chile” – Communist Party of Malta

The Communist Party of Malta congratulates the left coalition for its landslide victory in its presidential elections in Chile, where the Left Coalition made up of the socialists, the communists and the christian democrats swept away the previous neoliberal government.

“The left coalition led by the socialist Michelle Bachelet won over 62% of the votes, while the right wing coalition gathered 38%. This was another success in Latin America where once again the people rejected the neoliberal economic policies”.

The Communist Party of Malta sends its best wishes to the Communist Party of Chile, which had a vital part in the left electoral victory. Communists in government will ensure the implementation of social and educational reforms promised during the election campaign.

“Parliament should not deny adoption rights” – Malta Communist Party

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.

“This year, Portugal's parliament handed same-sex couples the right to adopt the children or foster children of one partner, a partial victory for equality campaigners”.

“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,” stated the Communist Party of Malta.

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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