The sixteenth congress
[14-17 December, 2001]
The 16th Congress was held on 14-17 December, 2001 at the congress hall of CPG in Athens. Delegations of 72 communist and workers’ parties, anti-imperialist movements and organisations, coming from 52 countries attended its works. The congress reviewed the activity of the party, evaluated the developments on national and international level. It worked out the CPG’s political proposal for the formation of the Anti-imperialist, Anti-monopoly Democratic Front of struggle (AADF) in greater detail.
It evaluated that the international developments have been marked by the barbarous and inhuman imperialist aggression to impose the «new world order» all over the planet. Humankind is living through a bleak period, owing to imperialist aggressiveness, which is manifested in all its extent and depth in all fields.
However, capitalist barbarity and aggression also constitute an indication of the inability to deal with a sudden worsening of all the contradictions inherent in the evolution of the imperialist system.
The congress evaluated that the existing objective conditions of a more general crisis will, along the way, shape the objective elements of a nationwide crisis in one or more countries, some earlier, some later. It pointed out that the peoples must be vigilant, because the danger of a generalised conflict of global significance continues to exist and, from one point of view, is being reinforced.
The congress reaffirmed, the assessment of the 15th Congress oi.e. that there are two roads opening up before Greece and its people: the road of adjustment, of incorporation into the imperialist world order; and on the other hand, the road of resisting and breaking with this policy: the road of the formation of the Anti-imperialist, Anti-monopoly Democratic Front of struggle, which serves the interests of the working class, the majority of the people.
It pointed out that the Popular Front will be based on the social alliance between the working class and the petty bourgeois strata in towns and villages in their mutual interests, in the fight against their common adversary, the monopolies and imperialism. It will be based on the dialectical relationship and interaction of social and political alliances. It will draw its strength from the development of the class struggle, and from the processes and realignments this will bring on the social and political level. In turn, it will lend a new dynamic to the class struggle, to the process of change in the balance of forces in favor of the popular forces.
Gathered within the ranks of the AADF will be heterogeneous social and political forces from the viewpoint of social status and ideological and political attitudes. In the formation of the AADF, there must also be a certain level of agreement among the forces that will constitute it, on a general direction for solving problems, which will be expressed in a programmatic frame for the people’s economy and for the peoples’ power.
KKE believes people’s power is socialist power, which can free the people from the bonds of the monopolies, imperialist oppression and dependence. It does not however consider this position to be a condition for the creation of the Front, which will not be formed on the basis of any agreement about socialism. Every force taking part in the Front will retain its own viewpoint about the nature of rule.
In order to create the Front, the congress underlined that the Party today has to work for partial fronts, alliances and collaborations to be promoted and developed, as long, of course, as they are opposed to the choices of pro-monopoly imperialist policy on a particular issue.
The congress pointed out that KKE has continue its effort and contribution on international level, so that the pole of the communist movement can become more visible worldwide, based on the positive experience of the 20th century, and at the same time having learned from the negative events that occurred at times.
At the same time, it will step up its activity to create alliances focused on confronting imperialist aggressiveness, NATO and the so-called new world order.
The 16th Congress was held on 14-17 December, 2001 at the congress hall of CPG in Athens. Delegations of 72 communist and workers’ parties, anti-imperialist movements and organisations, coming from 52 countries attended its works. The congress reviewed the activity of the party, evaluated the developments on national and international level. It worked out the CPG’s political proposal for the formation of the Anti-imperialist, Anti-monopoly Democratic Front of struggle (AADF) in greater detail.
It evaluated that the international developments have been marked by the barbarous and inhuman imperialist aggression to impose the «new world order» all over the planet. Humankind is living through a bleak period, owing to imperialist aggressiveness, which is manifested in all its extent and depth in all fields.
However, capitalist barbarity and aggression also constitute an indication of the inability to deal with a sudden worsening of all the contradictions inherent in the evolution of the imperialist system.
The congress evaluated that the existing objective conditions of a more general crisis will, along the way, shape the objective elements of a nationwide crisis in one or more countries, some earlier, some later. It pointed out that the peoples must be vigilant, because the danger of a generalised conflict of global significance continues to exist and, from one point of view, is being reinforced.
The congress reaffirmed, the assessment of the 15th Congress oi.e. that there are two roads opening up before Greece and its people: the road of adjustment, of incorporation into the imperialist world order; and on the other hand, the road of resisting and breaking with this policy: the road of the formation of the Anti-imperialist, Anti-monopoly Democratic Front of struggle, which serves the interests of the working class, the majority of the people.
It pointed out that the Popular Front will be based on the social alliance between the working class and the petty bourgeois strata in towns and villages in their mutual interests, in the fight against their common adversary, the monopolies and imperialism. It will be based on the dialectical relationship and interaction of social and political alliances. It will draw its strength from the development of the class struggle, and from the processes and realignments this will bring on the social and political level. In turn, it will lend a new dynamic to the class struggle, to the process of change in the balance of forces in favor of the popular forces.
Gathered within the ranks of the AADF will be heterogeneous social and political forces from the viewpoint of social status and ideological and political attitudes. In the formation of the AADF, there must also be a certain level of agreement among the forces that will constitute it, on a general direction for solving problems, which will be expressed in a programmatic frame for the people’s economy and for the peoples’ power.
KKE believes people’s power is socialist power, which can free the people from the bonds of the monopolies, imperialist oppression and dependence. It does not however consider this position to be a condition for the creation of the Front, which will not be formed on the basis of any agreement about socialism. Every force taking part in the Front will retain its own viewpoint about the nature of rule.
In order to create the Front, the congress underlined that the Party today has to work for partial fronts, alliances and collaborations to be promoted and developed, as long, of course, as they are opposed to the choices of pro-monopoly imperialist policy on a particular issue.
The congress pointed out that KKE has continue its effort and contribution on international level, so that the pole of the communist movement can become more visible worldwide, based on the positive experience of the 20th century, and at the same time having learned from the negative events that occurred at times.
At the same time, it will step up its activity to create alliances focused on confronting imperialist aggressiveness, NATO and the so-called new world order.
e-mail:cpg@int.kke.gr