Elleinstein Althusser, including other crities such as Jean Rony and Gerard Molina, all those who have had the chance to express themselves publicly challenge bureaucratic functioning of the French Communist Party (PCF) and centre their fight on the demand for permanent discussion forums in the party press.
They challenge the vertical debate which exists from the cell to the political burcau. SEREN CEDIETE SAUTOELRH debare from cell to cell, with opinions being tbrough open forums in the party press.
AIL are unaninous sn rejocting groupines and rendencies. But af this point a sucsuon ansewaue btc purpose of debate in the party?
rontation of positions has the function of arriving at the best orientation passible, one which reflects the richness of contribution ol thousands of militants laced with all sorrs of difterent experienoes Such a debnte can conclude in general agreement, in partial disaarcemnents. or in totally diferent orientations.
achickd democracy aneans that must minimum level of understaiLing IREC-ENUUE. means that those who feel close polthenly ta one another on this or that question must be able lo muet to ciarily their position and inervene in such n way that the cilitants as a whole can make a choice ou the basis of a cleas diferentiation:
TASTEPHS CHENCE than a multitude of shades of opicicn MSICI cover over the rent questions al surke.
lote not a question of stiring un ditferences, because Ibey are bound to exist in a party which has any Bie in it.
Te example: the dictatori p proletaria. There are milliant;
SOCIALIST CHALLENGE 11 May 1978 page 11 to in the party whe are against it for fundamental connected with a gradualist. and concepcion of the way forward socialism. That option, it hangs together.
Others are against it solely the afier the tragic caricature its application by Stalin, They continue nonetheless OUTS TC CaE TOE UBd content embodied in this term, militants who want to retain the formula.
Wouldn't it be logical and help to clarify things if these two currents could meet up just before a congress to sec if there was a possibility of presenting o text CATAHISE redurditren retie be suca a prienee unhealthy?
In adlual fad the funcbon of democratic debate is not soleiy to deline politica. orientations. conf- to convinoe, SErUMLA Ipiprove, or even to win and change the line the The means for this do not exist, then democracy focmal and simply into the right to bave ideas a comunist organisalicn, acicaco OBOoL mphes the line of the majonty Throuch this experience Il ca reai cither be convinced that it was all wrong or, on the contrats, i should be able in convince the Furoriy nt lhe next corure thai it was righe.
IF the PCF leadership were to grant open forums in the party press lo militants, would be a step forward. Bel to stop there would he ridiculaus except Tor questioe the slowies of the narv'e Furgonmin BVn tion, and who are only the advance goard of what is ar Ireversible evolution in spite of the val ous tachen detes l takes in.
With discussion fonums and nothing else, the 23rd Congress would threaten le be mearly as inanimousas the previous onc.
Today all elections
tae screened by coltmission'.
as many posts as candidates Above ail, i majority vote b required for delegation. reformist There could be 49 per cent of militants in all the celis opposed 1o the naclear strike force; get the present mode of representation would pive rhem O per cen! at the Congress. of minorities should be able to get together and be represented in proportion to the number of votes, Otherwise the discussion as the is purely literary The existence of tendencies ses many problems. But it did лог Party from making a revolution quite the reverse.
The banning of tendencies, however canenly motene in SIL BISI the burcaucratisation, and thus in the AOWDGOMMCHL revolutionary because the PCF leadership las abandoned any STiery that Il Is Bot DiCDarOO to accept democratisation, and It involves a anly a very limited liberalisaELDIL.
of the party. If hecornes transfornied that OrEly ilTh cadre There are often phruse, SITEE USSE unanimously approving incrodible party.
strategy of disunity.
the left.
to Temark prevent the Bolshevik from the rostrum at the model, Conpress in July 1956, objective. Il is revolutionar)
for revolutionary tasks, "The PCF has chosen to shut itself up in the fortress Semprun
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