Extraordinary congress of SEKE
[16-19.09.1920]
Despite the second congress decision for Independent presence in the elections, the party’s candidates supported co-operation with Venizelos. As a result, the CC decided to call an Extraordinary Congress in order to deal with the party’s policy in the elections. The congress assembled on 16th - 19th September (29th Sept. - 2nd Oct.) 1920 and concluded on the independent presence of the party in the elections. They initially selected 23 candidates and approved the elections program. The congress also decided to change the position on the agrarian issue, holding the position of big estate expropriation.
The adverse circumstances for the party’s operation, after the disaster in Asia Minor, with prosecutions against it, brought forth conceptions about the fall back of the revolutionary tactics and actions, so that there would be a long period of legal activity; meanwhile, there were views for super-revolutionary activity. The First Pan-Hellenic (nation wide) Conference of the Party took place on 6th (19th) February 1922 in order to deal with the strong division which arose. It was decided then that «the SEKE (Communist) always remains the party of the working class mainly» and that «one of its most important objectives is to win the majority of people to working class lines»; on the other hand «the party being still in the process of organising itself, needs a long legal existence». In fact the party was leading itself into resigning from revolutionary struggle. Of course, the problem created by this disagreement and the mistaken resolution concerning the Party itself could not be resolved in the Extraordinary Congress 20th -31st October (2nd - 13th November) either, a congress that was also electoral and did not change the conference decision about the need for a long period of legal activity.
An Extraordinary Electoral Congress was also held in Athens on 19th -24th September 1923.
Despite the second congress decision for Independent presence in the elections, the party’s candidates supported co-operation with Venizelos. As a result, the CC decided to call an Extraordinary Congress in order to deal with the party’s policy in the elections. The congress assembled on 16th - 19th September (29th Sept. - 2nd Oct.) 1920 and concluded on the independent presence of the party in the elections. They initially selected 23 candidates and approved the elections program. The congress also decided to change the position on the agrarian issue, holding the position of big estate expropriation.
The adverse circumstances for the party’s operation, after the disaster in Asia Minor, with prosecutions against it, brought forth conceptions about the fall back of the revolutionary tactics and actions, so that there would be a long period of legal activity; meanwhile, there were views for super-revolutionary activity. The First Pan-Hellenic (nation wide) Conference of the Party took place on 6th (19th) February 1922 in order to deal with the strong division which arose. It was decided then that «the SEKE (Communist) always remains the party of the working class mainly» and that «one of its most important objectives is to win the majority of people to working class lines»; on the other hand «the party being still in the process of organising itself, needs a long legal existence». In fact the party was leading itself into resigning from revolutionary struggle. Of course, the problem created by this disagreement and the mistaken resolution concerning the Party itself could not be resolved in the Extraordinary Congress 20th -31st October (2nd - 13th November) either, a congress that was also electoral and did not change the conference decision about the need for a long period of legal activity.
An Extraordinary Electoral Congress was also held in Athens on 19th -24th September 1923.
e-mail:cpg@int.kke.gr