PCVlogo.png No to the Illegalization of PCV! Open Letter from the Communist Party of Venezuela (PCV) to Communist and Workers Parties of the World Dear comrades, Receive classist and revolutionary greetings from the Central Committee of the Communist Party of Venezuela (PCV), as we call on your attention to offer you an explanation on the threat of illegalization that currently weighs on our Party for the fourth time during our 86 years of struggles. For more than a year, both publicly and in private meetings, PCV has stated repeatedly that it will not submit itself to the stipulations set forth by the Rules for the Renewal of Enrollment Lists of Members of Organizations for National Political Purposes. These new Rules, issued on March 4th, 2016, by the National Elections Council (CNE for its Spanish initials), contain some terms and conditions which had never been applied before, which are unacceptable to the dignity and safety of a revolutionary organization and its members, and which overstep the current legal framework. According to the new procedures established by these Rules, it is now mandatory that the membership of all parties must register directly with CNE, distorting the legally and historically established relationship between the electoral authorities and the political parties, and between these and their respective members. This not only goes against the Statutes and organic principles of PCV as a party of cadres, but also creates a situation potentially dangerous to the internal life of our organization, since if tens, hundreds or thousands of people who are not really members of our Party, get registered as such by CNE, then these may claim the right to participate in internal decisions and debates, including the election of our leadership and candidates. Also, the Rules provide for open and public access, through the CNE website, to the personal data of those who register as members of each party, which violates the right of citizens to maintain privacy about their political choices, and weakens the principle of secret vote. This, in turn, puts at risk the personal security and employment stability of Communists and other left-leaning militants, since neo-fascists and public and private employers will be able to access this information and use it to identify and attack revolutionaries. Moreover, the new Rules issued in 2016, compared to the old ones of 2011, not only reduced from six months to 14 hours the period for registration of enrollment lists, but also established equal procedures and requirements for the parties that did not take part in the previous two elections and those, like ours, that did participate. After the publication of these Rules, the Political Bureau of the Central Committee of PCV sent on June 10th, 2016, a letter to CNE explaining our objections and proposing amendments, but the electoral authorities never replied, thus disregarding their constitutional duty to provide «a timely and adequate response» to any proper request by the citizenry (Article 51 of the National Constitution); this also demonstrates the lack of political will that has prevailed within CNE to seek a solution to this situation. For more than fourteen months, there have been several bilateral meetings and exchanges with senior Government officials, as well as broader meetings between representatives of the different parties that make up the «Simón Bolívar» Great Patriotic Pole and drive the Bolivarian process, including leaders of the United Socialist Party of Venezuela (PSUV). In all of those opportunities, PCV has expressed our objections to the Rules issued by CNE, objections which were shared by the majority of the parties therein. However, while some national leaders of PSUV have expressed their «concern» about this matter, others have publicly stated that the «renewal» process is legal and should be carried out by CNE as established; therefore, the official position of the party in Government still remains unclear. Earlier this year, it became evident that CNE was getting ready to enforce the process of “renewal” under these opprobrious Rules, shielding itself behind the Law on Political Parties, Public Meetings and Demonstrations, which dates back to 1965 when it was enacted during the most repressive moment of the “Puntofijista” regime as part of its efforts to police and control leftist parties. This Law, despite an amendment in 2010, still maintains its repressive contents and nature, and thus clashes with the principles and postulates of the National Constitution of 1999, especially with regards to the promotion of people’s participation, activism and control over public administration. Therefore, on February 16th, 2017, PCV filed at the Constitutional Court of the Supreme Tribunal of Justice (TSJ for its Spanish initials) an appeal for the annulment of Article 25 of the Law on Political Parties, which establishes the requirement of «renewal» of political parties, on the grounds that such a requirement is unconstitutional. At the same time, our Party also requested precautionary measures to suspend the process of «renewal», which nevertheless was started by CNE on March 4th. Almost two months have elapsed since PCV filed the appeal in the TSJ, and more than a month since CNE started the process of «renewal», and still the Constitutional Court has not made any decision neither on our request of precautionary measures nor on the merits of our appeal. This is a violation of the constitutional principle that establishes the right “to obtain promptly the relevant decision” from the courts (Article 26 of the National Constitution). According to the schedule announced by CNE for the «renewal» process, PCV is due on May 20th and 21st; PCV will not participate and will not recognize as its members any people who may register as such during those days. Between July 9th and 19th, the final report on the results of the process will be announced; CNE has already asserted that any party that is not “renewed” by then will be “canceled” (such is the wording in the Law), and therefore will lose its legal status and entity, with all the implications that this entails. This would outlaw the main, oldest and most persistent instrument for the struggle of the Venezuelan working class and people against imperialist domination and capitalist exploitation. Such a threat takes place in the midst of a severe crisis of the extractionist and dependent capitalist model of our country; an increase in the interventionist policies of imperialism against the moral reference that the Bolivarian process still represents; and a sharpening of class contradictions and of the struggle for power between the pro-imperialist right-wing bloc and the forces that support the Government, and even within each of these blocs. In this context, the Central Committee of PCV proposes to the Communist, Workers and Revolutionary Parties of the World that they consider the possibility of participating in the campaign «No to the illegalization of PCV!», thus expressing the opinion of the international Communist and anti-imperialist movement in support of PCV and for the protection of the rights and constitutional guarantees of our Party. We suggest that this opportunity be used also for the denunciation of imperialist interference against the sovereignty and self-determination of the Venezuelan people. We ask that the public statements that your Parties may issue on this matter, be delivered to the Embassy of the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela in your country, and also that you send them to our e-mails: [email protected], [email protected] and [email protected]. And, if possible, also to the Twitter accounts: @DPresidencia, @NicolasMaduro, @TSJ_Venezuela, @Tibisay_Lucena, @taniadamelio and @PCV_Venezuela. Thanks in advance for the support and internationalist solidarity you may offer us. With Communist greetings, on behalf of the Central Committee of the Communist Party of Venezuela (PCV): Oscar Figuera G. General Secretary Carolus Wimmer Secretary for International Relations Caracas, April 12th, 2017 From: https://prensapcv.wordpress.com/2017/04/18/no-a-la-ilegalizacion-del-pcv-es- en-fr/ __________ Information from ESET NOD32 Antivirus, version of malware database 15279 (20170419) __________ The message was checked by ESET NOD32 Antivirus. http://www.eset.com -- -- You are subscribed. This footer can help you. Please POST your comments to [email protected] or reply to this message. You can visit the group WEB SITE at http://groups.google.com/group/yclsa-eom-forum for different delivery options, pages, files and membership. To UNSUBSCRIBE, please email [email protected] . You don't have to put anything in the "Subject:" field. You don't have to put anything in the message part. All you have to do is to send an e-mail to this address (repeat): [email protected] . --- You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups "YCLSA Discussion Forum" group. 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