The pre-congress work

The pre-Congress work

Particulars of participation and votes …

The CC and the other leading bodies made an effort to ensure the best possible pre-Congress preparation, i.e. for the necessary conditions to be created to ensure that every Party member and cadre increase his or her personal participation and contribution to the discussion of the Theses.

At Base Organisation (BO) meetings, it was more difficult to link particular experience with the central issues of the Theses. Weaknesses and deficiencies of leadership came to the fore, which resulted in the BOs having a narrow horizon of experience and suffering the effects of excessive concentration on practical tasks, without planning or perspective, in contrast with the multifaceted and long-term nature of the struggle. It was plain that we have not succeeded in working systematically on the basis of Party documents and further discussion, and for experience to be supervised and enriched on this foundation. Discussion improved in conferences, and more substantial remarks were made.

KNE cadres also took part in the pre-Congress discussion and dialogue. An effort was made to have the Theses discussed in the BOs as well. It is our opinion that the interest of KNE members, and especially its cadres, was great. Many submitted thoughts and remarks to the Party. Their interest was focused on studying the ideological positions of the Party and its Programme. This discussion with KNE must continue more intensely and systematically after the Congress, for which the Party organisations will be responsible.

We regard as positive the fact that, in comparison with previous congresses, we came into contact with and obtained opinions from more cooperating persons and other militants who were interested in presenting observations. After the Congress, we must continue the dialogue and discussion about the general positions of the Party, as well as about specific issues in each sector, based on individual fronts of struggle.

During the pre-Congress discussion, the fact that the CC carried out substantive self-criticism on its work was regarded as positive. Some comrades wondered whether the CC had gone too far, and perhaps did itself an injustice. We believe that we should not let ourselves be misled by these views. The thoughts, remarks and observations that were made during the pre-Congress work, regardless of whether or not special reference was made to the work of the CC, confirm resoundingly that the self-criticism carried out by the CC was correct with regard to how it corresponded to its main, basic task which was: To ensure a unified orientation of its action based on Party strategy. To help every organisation bring its work into the general planning, to adjust and fine-tune it in the spirit of initiative and self-activation.

We delegates bear the great burden of the responsibility of developing our concerns and discussion on a higher level, and making an essential contribution to ensuring that it is also expressed in the formulation of the final decisions.

It should be taken into very serious consideration that in the pre-Congress work many comrades asked the question: What guarantees are there that, after the Congress and starting with the new CC, the problems we are facing will be addressed and that visible results will be achieved in the manner, methods and content of leadership, and in the greater collectivity of intra-Party life? How can substantial improvement be ensured?

The spirit of their concern is positive and must be taken seriously by the delegates, the new CC and the new leading bodies.

The new CC has a four-year horizon of action until the next congress. This is enough time, but at the same time it is limiting. What is important is that at the 18th Congress there should be no need to repeat the same observations and remarks as problems of orientation and especially in the way of working. That there be visible results in the strengthening of the Party, so that in the Theses for the 18th Congress, new issues and problems of the class struggle are at the centre of the discussion, because the Party will have entered upon a course of drastic confrontation of today's problems and its growth will demand that new, more composite and responsible duties be undertaken.