CHAPTER 7: The tasks of the party up to its 19ty Congress

93. The Party must follow, with determination, the path set by its 15th Congress, which has been further elaborated in its following congresses. The consolidation of this approach and its assimilation by the PBOS as well as the emphasis on the guidance of KNE and its maturing are issues of great importance. Today, the key to the overall strengthening of the Party is the progress of the Party-building, taking into account that the influence of the Party has grown, and so there is ground for the faster expanding of its ranks in the next period of time. This requires a planed, steady and tireless work in order to build an as extensive as possible network of Party and KNE BOs in factories, enterprises, workplaces, in all sectors so as to achieve their continuous development. This is a necessary precondition for improving, strengthening and making more effective the Party-building and the influence on popular strata of the city and the countryside, on women and youth in general. We should realise the necessity and work towards the unity of revolutionary theory and revolutionary action, that is:  To reach the highest possible theoretical and ideological level, which contributes to the assimilation and creative implementation of the strategy in the everyday planned action in the movement, to the rallying forces, but also to the development of the political consciousness of an increasing number of employees and other vanguard workers. The broadening of the circulation of «Rizospastis», of the «Communist Review» (KOMEP) and political books is a key step forward, in conjunction with the broader development of the education within the Party down to the PBOs and self-education. We should raise this requirement towards the youth and KNE.

After the preparation and the debate within the Party on the second part of the History of KKE (1949 – 1974), the program of the ideological and political education of cadres and members should include as a main issue the text on “the conclusions of the construction of socialism” and the Party’s History.

The new CC should focus on assisting and raising the efficiency of City and Regional Committees, in order to guide more effectively the District and Prefectural Committees that have direct responsibility for the guidance of PBOs.  In addition, special assistance is needed for the Prefectural Committees of the countryside.

The accounting and control procedures from the leading bodies to the PBOs to become more substantial and creative, overcoming any routine and formal approach. The leading bodies at all the levels of the Party down to the PBOs, should study more systematically the experience of the class and the overall mass struggle in their area. They should spot specific shortcomings and mistakes made during the implementation of the decisions, spot new problems, trends, the developments in the area, so that the decisions respond each time to the concrete needs. In particular, they should keep up with the vanguard forces and the developing trends as well as with the vanguard workers, discover the initiatives and problems that will contribute to the development of political consciousness, of disposition towards organisation and struggle.

The control and evaluation of the contribution and work of the cadres should become more substantial.

There is a need to achieve a higher level of understanding of the character and content of creative adaptation and specialisation of the strategy to the sphere of responsibility of each Body down to the PBOs. Scrutinised organisational measures that serve this direction should be taken.

The amount of work, the complex developments require support staffs, so that leading bodies can concentrate their attention on the most essential directions of work and on long term planning. The City and Regional Committees should form auxiliary committees where none exist and improve the composition of existing ones. The Prefectural Committees of the regions and the District Committees of the cities should ensure basic infrastructure. The assisting committees should contribute to the better elaboration of the decisions, to the specialisation of the cadres and, ultimately, to the improving of the guidance of PBOs.

94. The new CC to ensure more decisively than before that the overall planning and control of its work includes all the combined measures adopted by the Nationwide Conference for the support and overall assistance to KNE, such as:

·                     To guide the Bodies to raise their work in KNE in order to assimilate the strategy of the Party, to promote the ideological-political and communist education. To help qualify cadres of the Party and KNE in the fields of youth work, particularly among young workers, in vocational education and training, in TEI (Technological Educational Institutions).

·                     The CC to be more demanding towards itself and the lower Bodies and provide comradely help to ensure the creative operation of the BOs, which constitutes, along with the ideological-political work a serious factor for the assimilation of new members. To address the backlog on issues of Culture and Sport.

95. The capitalist restructuring creates in Greece as well a new situation that will evolve further to the extent to which the new expected measures are passed.

The conclusion of the theses of the 17^th  Congress ( «Documents of the 17th Congress», p. 174) that «concepts and practices in our political activity -as they were shaped under relatively different internal and international conditions after the restoration of democracy in 1974- have been proven insufficient and cannot be adapted to current reality.» are still true. Modern conditions and the experience that has already been crystallised all these years have to be taken into consideration, otherwise the ability of the Party will not be developed and its effectiveness will be reduced.

The immediate task is to broaden the labour vanguard, to apply modern experience integrally. The enlargement of the labour vanguard is a precondition for the influence to be exerted on most of the working class.

The development and strengthening of the class-oriented movement, the rise of the organisation of the working class, the progress in its unity are unthinkable without the systematic Party work among economic immigrants, who suffer the most brutal class exploitation. An integral element of party work planning must be the participation of immigrants in trade unions, in the trade union movement, their defense at workplaces against the employers' lawlessness, irrespectively of whether they work in cities or as farm workers. Today they also need solidarity and defense against employers of their nationality, who exploit them as harsh as the Greeks. The action among economic migrants should be extended to the whole range of the problems they face, which have to do with living and housing conditions, the education of their children, social infrastructures, Healthcare, their defense against all mechanisms of repression and violence and their legalisation.

The new CC, based on the experience of the organisations, should draw up an action plan for the problems of migrants and their integration into the labour movement.

96. The planned ideological-political and mass activity of the Party should be governed by specific control criteria for measuring the results. Planned aims can be used for a systematic control and accountability, for assessing the degree of efficiency and the building of an infrastructure and of a perspective. The main criterion should be the creative concern about the level of consistently and methodicalness to which the strategy of the Party is promoted. The existing results are established and become an impetus for further improvement and higher demands, avoiding impatience which does not take into consideration the bends and turns of the movement, the various zigzags and any influence that might be exercised by objective factors.

The daily action should contribute to the rise of the experience of the Party, of the ideological-political and organisational readiness at all levels so that it meets the requirements in conditions of heightening of the class struggle and at a time when new popular masses join the movement, or in reverse conditions, when there are difficulties and the development of class struggle is slow.

We should approach the popular masses that joined the struggle recently, without being anxious to convince them at once, as this is a process that develops with contradictions. At the same time, we should be vigilant because such a necessary approach of the popular masses leads to pressure and difficulty in promoting our strategy, it leads to the risk of diffusion. But we have to go into deeper waters, provided that we insisting on promoting our strategy.

97. The militancy and quality of action of Communists in other mass organisations are the key requirements for the development of the struggle, for the militant collective education, for the development of political consciousness, for the Party and KNE building and for vanguard workers to join the Party.

Today the local mass organisations are more important and local struggles acquire a wider political dimension, as the new administrative structure of the country is progressing through «Kapodistrias II» and since a number of critical social sectors pass to a municipal level and are linked to PPPs.

The Bodies and the PBOs have to assume their responsibility in guiding their members who are elected in mass organisations’ administrations and in guiding the party groups. They must control how we work, how we rally, how we gain managing to convince popular forces.

98. The issues of the renewal, rotation and shuffle of the cadres are prompt and imperative. They will become even more pressing in the next few years, that is why they have to be dealt with methodically, systematically and directly.

The renewal of the bodies should be based on social-class and age criteria, and have a long term perspective. The promotion of female cadres from the working class should be a particular concern.

We need to concentrate the most and most capable forces in the industrial branches, in the various sectors of the economy, especially in the industrial sector, in the traditional processing industries that employ experienced workforce and new industrial branches that concentrate young workers. Moreover, the best and most mature cadres either the most promising cadres should contribute to the work of District Committees. Cadres that can promote the executive work must also be assigned to these committees.

There should also be a concentration of forces in the field of ideological work, enlightenment and propaganda, in the field of studies and research that should be conducted by the party's scientific potential, by those who are willing to place their knowledge in the service of the working class, of the struggle for socialism. Young scientists who are party members have to be assisted in acquiring Marxist education through a party system of education and self-education.

The renewal of cadres is also associated with the rotation of the areas of work, since a prolonged specific allocation leads to unilateralism and therefore to a kind of stagnation. Cadres who are not willing to raise their contribution or do not understand the need for individual improvement become a barrier.

The solution of the problem lies in the improvement of the guidance, but mainly in the renewal of the Bodies of KNE, which require more assistance to its cadres for them to get prepared to undertake a party responsibility. At the same time, KNE should be helped to prepare the promotion and growth of its cadres, in order to fill the gaps created by the transition of some of its cadres to the Party. That is, the CC of KNE should consider the role played by the Organisation in the renewal of the Party forces.

This duty applies for all the guiding bodies of the Party and the corresponding bodies of KNE.

99. The strengthening of the Party includes the stabilisation and growth of its political and electoral influence. However, the strengthening of the Party should not be equated to its electoral influence. We must realise that we must concentrate our attention on specific issues, so that they can become a tool of political influence for the Party. The political influence is determined and evaluated by a combination of criteria. A key criterion of strengthening is the party building in factories, enterprises, in industrial sectors, the ideological and political level of the Party and its ability to counterattack. The progress of these goals is measured by the popularisation of «Rizospastis», of political literature, etc. and the constant ideological struggle against bourgeois views and opportunism.

100. An integral element of the Party building and the strengthening of its links with the working class, is the utilisation and circulation of the party literature, the utilisation of electronic media and the Internet. All these factors can lead to a substantial improvement in the propaganda, which should live up to the requirements, needs and should be designed with a perspective. «Rizospastis», KOMEP and special editions of the Party are an irreplaceable daily tool of each Party and KNE member. The same applies for the members of KNE concerning «Odigitis». «Odigitis» is also a tool for the cadres and members of the Party who have been charged to work among the Youth, but also for all party members, who have to know as much as possible about KNE. These instruments also improve guidance, since they supply arguments and knowledge and inform us on current issues.

The wide, enlightenment work needs to systematically utilise all modern forms of propaganda, however it is vital for it to be based on direct conversation, vis a vis with employees. The education of enlighteners, propagandists and Marxist scientists, especially from the working class, through a systematic assistance, self-education and education constitutes a key measure for the progress of this goal.

101. In the next period Party cadres and members should become deeply aware of the fact that the most effective weapon of persuasion is the unity of words and deeds, of the revolutionary theory and practice. Particularly at workplaces, where militancy and class confrontation is being proved.

A communist, a member of KNE is not judged only by his or her personal struggle, but by the ability to bring together and organise popular masses under any circumstances. By the ability to build various fronts during the struggles, to strengthen the existing ones in which the party participates and supports. By their ability to contribute to the widening of the sphere of contacts and influence of the Party, to the Party’s ability to cooperate with employees, self-employed and poor farmers, with youth, taking into account their different views, but without waiving the efforts to persuade and criticise.

102. The issue of the modernisation of our positions and elaborations, of the aims and demands of struggle should remain open in order to facilitate the promotion of our strategy, to raise the ability of popularisation of our positions on socialism and the need for the building of the Front on the basis of the agreement on the People's Power and Economy. The bases of the claims are the financial demands of workers and the right to work, refuting urban and social democratic concepts of redistribution and management of poverty.  We should formulate demands and slogans, goals of struggle that demonstrate the necessity of struggle against class exploitation. At the same time we should demonstrate the superiority of our ideas, the differences between the party and the other forces, the meaning and content of contemporary needs, the problem of capitalist property and power.

103. The CC should adjust the type of its central initiatives, so as not to be limited to those imposed by the so-called political developments, in the way they are determined by the bourgeois parties and opportunists. Issues concerning our ideology and strategy, such as the vanguard and revolutionary role of the working class, the value of anti-monopoly social alliance, the developments in the imperialist system, the difference between bourgeois and socialist democracy, our conclusions on the socialist construction and the way they fit in KKE’s understanding of socialism should be included in the central initiatives of the CC in accordance with a plan.

In terms of revolutionary optimism we should systematically get prepared ideologically and politically on the issues of the character of the conflict, on what it means to conquer power, on what sacrifices are needed, on the fact that conflict is inevitable. It is necessary to attack parliamentary illusions and raise revolutionary vigilance.

104. For the planning of the action of the Party until the 19th Congress we should utilise:

§       The resolutions of the Nationwide Conference on Youth and the Nationwide Meeting for fine-tuning its strategy for women

§       The special resolution of the Enlarged Session of the CC of KNE on the movement pupils and students in Universities and Technical Education Institutes

The Party in collaboration with KNE should proceed with the further elaboration of our action in the Education movement and particularly in the field of educationalists and academics in Universities and Technical Education Institutes. The correlation of forces prevailing in conditions of the promotion of new reactionary measures, requires a more elaborated policy in this area, an attempt to consolidate all the existing progressive forces. The Party Organisations acting in these areas should participate in this activity as well as in the elaboration of our policy.

105. To hold a Nationwide Conference on the basis of the Statute of the Party in order to discuss the second volume of the History of the Party of the period 1949-1974.

To also hold a Nationwide Conference for the control of our action among the working class and the trade union movement. In its framework to evaluate our contribution to the European and International trade union movement.

The new CC to deal directly with the control of the progress of party building through an enlarged session with the participation of the Bureaus of City and Regional Committees and the CC of KNE. Then, to organise an equivalent debate in the Bodies and the PBOs.

106. The new CC to study the issues of the reorganisation and unification of the anti-imperialist and anti-war movement with the internationalist solidarity movement, based on the experience of the Party organisations, the opinions and suggestions of associates. The anti-war anti-imperialist movement should act continually and daily, to deal with all forms of imperialist intervention and of course to organise popular counteraction against war and occupation. An integral element of the anti-war anti-imperialist movement is the international solidarity in support of the people, of the victims of imperialist atrocity, of the anticommunist and the undemocratic repressions in general. Since in Greece and internationally peoples are at the mercy of imperialist propaganda, constant informing, revelations and the restoration of truth are precondition for the rallying and militancy of the popular forces and the youth in the front against imperialist wars and barbarism.

107. To systematise the practical work for the establishment of a distinct communist pole, maintaining and developing further the proven forms of international and regional meetings and of bilateral contacts.

The development of the economics of the Party

108. In the period after the 17^th Congress there has been a multi-faceted attack against the Party, mainly through defamations and provocations, concerning the sources of its economic revenue. The pretext was the refusal of the Party to allow state control over its internal operation, which includes the collection of contributions, the broad fund raising campaign for the financial support of the Party.

The slanderous attacks against KKE are not occasional; they have a strategic goal, given that they began aggressively in the early 1990s having the same content as now. These attacks manifest themselves in specific time periods, e.g. in pre-election periods, at times when popular discontent and indignation become more acute, or during revelations of the bribery of political parties and officials of parties in power

A pre-emptive terrorist policy is exercised in order people to hesitate to get in contact with the political proposal of the Party, with the action of KNE, so as to inhibit the vanguard role of KKE and the development of class struggle. Another aim is to make the people accept the economic and political dealings of the parties in power by spreading the lie that KKE does not differ in terms of its financial sources.

The transparency advertised by all other parties is hypocritical.

The state grants, which are primarily allocated to big parties, are a pretext and a tool for blackmail. KKE does not rely on state grants, which apart from being insufficient, are used as an excuse to attack the Party, to change its principles of operation.

The needs of the Party grow year after year and they will grow even more as it enlarges its political and mass activity, as it improves both the quality and diversity of its actions.

In the next period of time there should be a significant growth of the revenues of the Party from subscriptions, in accordance with the Statute, as well as from the steady daily fundraising from toilers, the working class, workers in general, from all those who, irrespectively of the party they vote for, understand that the dynamic action of KKE consists a guarantee and that this action requires financial resources.

Thus, the Party will become more independent from the state grants, which in any case do not meet the actual needs. The Party combines in the best possible way the proper management with the growth of its financial resources, which are allocated to improve the efficiency of its action in Greece, in the international communist and anti-imperialist movement and in the sphere of international solidarity.

In the time that elapsed from the previous congress, the finances of the Party were largely derived from the yearly fundraisings, which were satisfactory. There is a drawback in the coverage of the plans of the members’ dues and the monthly fundraising of the members of the Party. There are organisational shortcomings and a lack of commitment to the collection of dues and contributions. Not everywhere is there a concern about the firm increase of financial means. The internal informational note, which was sent to the PBOs by the CC, did not trigger substantial thoughts and discussion in all cases.

The CC takes into account the serious economic problems afflicting a large segment of workers because of the overall political situation and the policy against the workers and the popular strata. As a result, the friends, the supporters of the Party and other employees contribute smaller amounts at a regular basis, or during fundraising campaigns. This is why we need to further widen the circle of workers to whom we appeal for financial support for the Party. Today, we can increase the financial revenues of the Party through the financial support from much more people.

5^th of October 2008

The CC of KKE