APK: 12 Demands to a New Government

Translated by: The Espresso Stalinist

12 demands to a new government (1)

1. Stop the wars NOW! Welfare to ALL!

2. Jobs to the unemployed, places for interns/trainees/apprentices without places! Start environmentally friendly work: climate friendly energy, renovation of schools, homes, roads, sewerage etc. Places for trainees/interns/apprentices to all – now!

3. The working time must go down, not up! Scrap the lies about shortage of labour power and burden of old people! (2) Right to unemployment benefits in minimum four years – with right to education! Defend the real wage!

4. Right to a life after work! Hands off the “afterwage,” (3) retirement age, and pensions! Restore ”afterwage” from 60 years, state pension from 65 years! Full regulation and equality on transfer payments!

5. Free education to all, equal rights! Drop the reductions of the state educational grants, (4) educational grants to live on! Drop the cuts in education! Abolish users fees! Housing, that can be paid! No to youth unemployment!

6. More hands to welfare, not fewer! Stop the undermining of the public sector! Equal pay now! No privatization of health, the social sector, and public administration! Equal access to medical treatment! A well functioning eldercare! Better conditions for the children families! Stop the cuts on the weakest of the society!

7. Love and solidarity know no borders! No to discrimination, xenophobia and racism. No “point systems” (5) or “24-28-years rules”! (6) Abolish “starthelp” (7) and unpayable fees! Asylum seekers out of the [asylum] centres!

8. Stop the criminalization of political, social and labour struggles. Abolish the terror-laws, (8) the “lout package” (9) and other special laws that have undermined the legal rights of the Danes.

9. Stop the neoliberal EU! No to the union of the monopolies! The Danish exceptions (10) must be maintained! Away with the Euro Plus Pact! Referendums on all changes of the EU treaty! Denmark out of EU!

10. Danish troops out of Afghanistan NOW – Stop the war against Libya! Stop war and occupations: Libya, Iraq, Afghanistan, Palestine! End Danish war participation NOW! Stop the millitarization! Bring the guilty for participation in illegal wars to justice! Drop the purchase of new fighter jets! Denmark out of the war alliance NATO!

11. Stop climate talks without action! Transition to renewable energy now! Stop the trade of carbon credits! Phasing out of fossil fuels, no to nuclear power! No to gmo-crops! Stop military and wars – the biggest polluters.

12. Stop the tax cuts on the rich, tax them! Tax the multinational corporations! Stop the grants to the capital and the support to the large
agriculture! Drop expensive privatizations and outsourcing [of public services]! Cut down on the apparatus of violence, bureaucracy, and control!

We want neither cuts nor longer working time!
There is another way: Let the rich pay the crisis!

Young, old, men, and women:
It affects us all! Stand together against the slaughter of welfare! Community and solidarity!

Worker´s Communist Party of Denmark

Footnotes

1 First time published 21. January 2011 in ”Kommunistisk Politik” (Communist Policy, the paper of APK).
i.e. dependency ratio

3 Efterløn – a form of early retirement, 5 years before retirement age. Is at 60 years (65 years retirement age), but
it is planned to change it in 2019-2022 to 62 years, with 67 years retirement age. To get it, you must pay a special
contribution for 30 years.

4 SU – “Statens uddannelsesstøtte” (Educational support of the state).

5 http://universitetsavisen.dk/node/8196

6 http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/24_year_rule, there is a proposal to lift it to 28 years.

7 Starthjælp -– social benefit given to immigrants from outside the Nordic countries, EU, and Lichtenstein, aswell
to people with Danish citizenship, who have lived more than one year, of the last 8 years, outside of Denmark, the
Nordic countries, EU, and Lichtenstein. It is given to people who are without work and other possibilities to support
themselves.

It is very low, 2668 DKK for persons under 25 years, living with their parents, 5367 DKK for persons under 25 years,
living without their parents, 6472 DKK for persons, who are living alone and are at least 25 years, and 5367 DKK for
persons who are married or have cohabiting partners and are at least 25 years.
They are all before tax.

8 Gives the authorities extended right to survelliance of the people. Anton Nielsen, resistance fighter under nazi occupation and leader of the “Horserød-Stutthof association” for resistance fighters, was sentenced to 2 months prison the 16. June 2011, for supporting PFLP and FARC. The organization was forced to pay 20 day-fines on 500 DKK / day. See also http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fighters%2BLovers.

9 ”lømmelpakken”, a law package created before the Climate Summit in Copenhagen, december 2009. Preventive detention was raised from max 6 hours to 12 hours. The punishment for preventing the police doing its job was raised from a fine to 40 days prison. If there was a “gross disturbance of peace and order” on the place, it would be an aggrevating circumstance, when the punishment will be handed out.

10 i.e. Edinburgh Agreement

Greeting of the ICMLPO to the Congress of the PCOT, presented by Comrade Raul Marco

Dear comrades of the Communist Party of the Workers of Tunisia; dear comrades of the Marxist-Leninist parties, the revolutionary parties, the democratic and anti-imperialist parties and organizations present here:
Through you, comrades of the PCOT, we salute the working class, the youth, the peasantry and the Tunisian people in general, who have risen up to expel the tyrant and his clique, pushing forward the revolution in your country, the Maghreb and the Next East.

We thank for allowing us to take part in the tribune of your Second Congress, the first one of the revolutionary era; if you can celebrate this event openly, it is because you have managed to impose your presence in the struggle, through the constant activity of your militants for years: from the years of the most bloodthirsty dictatorship to the months of the fight for its overthrow.
As you write on your banners, on your posters, in your newspaper, in pamphlets, it is necessary to complete this revolution, to obtain the many political and social demands of your people. Yes, one must push forward this revolutionary process to the end, which fully confirms the historical truth: it is the peoples who make history go forward. The peoples never accept submitting to the dictatorship; they resist and, when conditions are right, they rise up and are prepared to make all the sacrifices necessary to free themselves from abuse, domination and exploitation.
The revolutionary process in your country has fueled and inspired the peoples of the region to revolt, to free themselves from the ferocious dictatorships that maintain them under the control of imperialism. Not all the revolts and the movements of what has been called “the spring of the Arab peoples” have had the same force nor have they achieved the same results, but one thing is certain: the domination of imperialism in this region has been shaken; all over the dictatorships are trembling and fear that new movements will arise shouting “dégage” (“Get Out!”).
Imperialism was surprised by the process that arose in Tunisia, from where it spread. Even the governments of the imperialist countries that were the most committed to support the Ben Ali clan were surprised. French imperialism, which was among the first imperialist powers to sink its claws into Tunisia, and very many of whose politicians in charge had very close relations with the clan in power, were not at all prepared, and did everything possible to try to save the Ben Ali regime. That is something the Tunisian people will never forget!
Imperialism was surprised; however it was not prepared to let go of its prey, to give up the raw materials, the oil, the water, which abound in the countries of the Maghreb and the Next East. It wants to preserve control of this strategic region, to maintain and reinforce its military presence, especially to protect its ally, the Zionist State of Israel. An ally that, once again, is showing its ultra-reactionary policy, its policy of repression against the Palestinian people, of the denial of their national rights, even imposing a dirty blockade on the Palestinian people of Gaza. And this time it has been the countries of the EU, especially the Greek government, that is playing the role of assistant in the policy of repression against the “Gaza Freedom Flotilla”
The military intervention of the imperialist coalition against Libya is part of the policy of maintaining its control over the region. Making use of the aspirations of the Libyan people, who would like to get rid of an oppressing regime, imperialism has launched a war that is destroying the country, in order to impose a regime that is totally faithful to it and that allows it to take control of the wealth of this neighboring country of Tunisia.
Dear comrades and friends:
We have said that the wind of the revolution is blowing in the Arab countries: today, the peoples of this region have taken their place in the movement of the struggle against imperialism, for national and social liberation, which is rousing the Latin American continent to rebellion, which is awakening the peoples of Africa, which is making rise up the working class, the popular masses and the youth of the countries of Europe who refuse to pay for the crisis of the imperialist system.
To conclude, we would like to salute once again the PCOT, its leadership and all its members, represented here by you, delegates in this congress.
Your party is a tenacious, brave party, a very brave one; it is a party that has always shown proof of its political clarity and ideological firmness, even at the harshest moments of the dictatorship and of the repression.
The comrades of the PCOT long ago told us that the storm is brewing, that sooner or later there would be a social explosion, and that they were preparing for it.
As Marxist Leninists, your party has always remained faithful to your people; it has always fought, even under the most difficult conditions, to defend the interests of the workers, to defend democratic rights; it has always worked for the unity of the political and social forces, to fight the Ben Ali regime, to present an alternative to the working class, the youth and the popular masses.
In this fight, your leadership has been tempered, acquiring a rich experience that is useful to all our Marxist-Leninist parties, who know that, without the clear and decisive leadership of the communist party, a revolutionary process will not come to a good end.
Comrades, in name of the International Conference of Marxist-Leninist Parties and Organizations, in name of the Marxist-Leninist parties that are present here, we say to you:
We are sure that this congress will make the correct decisions to advance the revolutionary process in your country, to advance your party, to root it in the masses.
You may be sure, comrades, that we are at your side in this fight.
Long live the Congress of the PCOT!
Long live proletarian internationalism!
(Tunisia, July 23, 2011)
Statement signed by those present:
PCOF of France, TDKP of Turkey, APK of Denmark, Communist Platform of Italy, PCE (M-L) of Spain, revolutionary Communist Party of Volta (Burkina Faso), Party of Labor of Iran (Toufan), PCMLE of Ecuador, Democratic Way of Morocco, Organization for the Reconstruction of the Communist Party of the Workers of Germany.

Messsage to the Congress of the Workers' Communist party of Tunisia by M-L group “Revolution”

Dear comrades of the Workers' Communist Party of Tunisia (PCOT)

After years of suppression, imprisonments, torture and martyrdoms of many courageous cadres, the PCOT has won ever more respect and authority among the Tunisian workers and youth. The party and its leadership, where comrade Hamma must be mentioned in particular, has played an important role in the Tunisian uprising and the ousting of dictator Ben Ali last winter. We are proud to belong to the same international movement as the PCOT.

Your Congress is taking place at a time when the Tunisian uprising is at a serious crossroad. The internal and external cronies of Ben Ali, the imperialists who backed the old regime, are desperately working to put an end to the revolutionary process and to bring things back to the imperialist and neocolonial «normality». The cowardly NATO-bombing of neighbouring Libya and the imperialists’ active infiltration and utilization of the Benghazi «rebels» is for sure a warning to the other peoples in Northern Africa, threatening them to obey the imperialist «New world order».

We hope and believe that the Tunisian workers, youth, women and peasants will not yield to the imperialist plots, and that they will continue and fulfil the revolutionary national and democratic process they have embarked upon. The stronger the influence and leadership of the PCOT, the more certain the victory will be.

If there is anything we can do in our country in the way of practical solidarity with the PCOT and the Tunisian revolt, we will respond as best we can with our very limited resources.

Wishing you all success in the proceedings of the congress, which most certainly will give new energy and mature guidance to the working peoples of Tunisia.

• Long live the Tunisian example!
• Long live the PCOT!
• Long live proletarian internationalism!

Our revolutionary fraternal greetings,

Marxist-Leninist Organization Revolusjon – Norway

Oslo, July 22nd 2011

“Red camping” in Norway by the end of August

The Communist Platform (m-l) (Kpml) organises a camping in an area near Oslo, Norway on August 25-28.

The Movement for the Reorganisation of the KKE 1918-55 has been invited to participate in the camping. A comrade will talk on the situation in Greece, the crisis in the country and the EU.

See also:

- Interview to Revolusjon! - We owe nothing and we will not pay!

- Contribution to the “Revolutionary Summer Camp 2009” in Denmark