KKE’s response to the new threats

Once again the government uttered threats against KKE, against the lists and the candidates of “People’s Rally”, that KKE supports in the local elections on 7th November 2010.

On Friday 3rd September the Minister of Interior G. Ragkousis was asked about the opposition of KKE to the ban of coupons and the unequivocal statement of the party that it won’t give up the financing of its action by the people. His answer has been outrageously unequivocal. “The law will be implemented by all means” he said and added that “KKE will have to bear the consequences if it does not accept to do so” (namely if it continues circulating coupons for the financing of its activity in the local elections). In addition, he mentioned that the law enables the audit committees to act by force of office in case the law is violated. In his discussion with the journalists he clarified that “if KKE does not implement the law it will not be represented in the local authorities”.

The minister reiterated his former statement, namely that the regulations of the controversial law on the incomes and the expenditures of the lists and the candidates in the local elections, will apply to the law on the financing of parties in general.

The existing law on the local elections establishes registered donations to lists and candidates by means of deposits in bank accounts that will register the data of the depositor. At the same time, it deprives the candidates who cannot finance their protectoral activity (workers and popular strata) of the right to participate in the elections, since it forbids the parties to cover these expenditures for them.

The Press Bureau of the CC of KKE issued the following statement on the interview of the Internal Minister:

“Under the pretext of transparency, the government, which serves the interests of the big capital drawing the people to the hell of poverty and unemployment, the government of PASOK, which –like the party of ND- has been supported by big business groups (the bribery scandal with SIEMENS is merely one element), threatens KKE with disqualification and fines because it uses coupons of 2, 3 and 10 euro for the financing of its activity by the working people. This fact is outrageous.

The effort to ban the economic support of KKE by the people, the threats against it will not pass. The government and its allies are aware of this fact. KKE has clarified to all of them that it will not become a state-dependent party, that it will not be manipulated by the business groups. No one has the right to set limits to the way that each party appeals to the people.

The popular forces are the ones who must condemn the anti-people attack. The only effective answer is the economic support of KKE and the lists of “People’s Rally”, the condemnation of the anti-people policy of PASOK, ND in local authorities but also in general”.