Contribution of CP of Sri Lanka [En]

by Raja Collure, chairman

Comrade Chairman,

Comrade Delegates of the fraternal parties

At the outset let me express our profound appreciation of the work of the Communist Party of the Russian Federation in hosting this International Meeting of Communist and Workers Parties. We thank them for their warm hospitality and for the provision of extensive facilities to the participants for to hold a successful meeting. I also convey the warm fraternal greetings of my party to Communist Party of the Russian Federation and the other parties represented at this meeting and their delegates.

This meeting is held in the background of the celebration of the centenary of the great October Socialist Revolution. The initial ignition of the Revolution for the commencement of the Revolution was caused in this city by the Bolshevik Party led by Vladimir Lenin. This momentous event which was called “Ten Days that Shook the World”by John Reed the American Journalist who witnessed the events is truly the most important event of the 20^th century, It has had a lasting impact on the developments of the world thereafter. Its global impact is omnipresent in the contemporary world and will continue to influence the course of the developments in the world in the future as well.The entire world treading on the scientific forecast of Marx and Engles will have a socialist system the world over which is destined ultimately to blossom into a communist society.

Celebration of this great event is proceeding a pace the world over, We will be privileged to witness the centennial celebrations in Moscow which is bound to be an unforgettable historic event of great proportions, In Sri Lanka on the initiative of our party it will be celebrated as a national event. Hundreds of people, mostly workers, peasants and intellectuals will gather together in recognition of the historic nature of the event with the participation of the head of state and leaders of political parties of different hues at the NelumPokuna (the Lotus Pond) the premier theatre in Colombo.

The fall of the Communist government in the Soviet Union and collapse of Communist rule in the former socialist countries is of a transient nature, The demise of Communist rule is not failure of socialism. The working class is fighting back along with the remaining Communist citadels of power. Capitalist ideologues such as Francis Fukoyama are made to revise their Comrades

Comrades,

The battle between labour and capital is heightening in the world.. Suffice it to mention the class battles raging in France where an attempt is made to decimate the rights of workers and change the conditions of their work. Working class is fighting in different fronts : to preserve their hard won trade union and democratic rights, to protect the environment and the 2015 Geneva agreement on Climate change to ward off threats to life on earth; to fight against the curtailment of global trade causing cuts in jobs; to prevent rearmament and spread of military tension in different parts of the world; to reform the trade and financial institutions in the world, to eradicate poverty particularly in the developing world, to arrest disparities among different segments of populations and to prevent the amassing of huge profits by monopoliesto the detriment of the working population and many others.

The Capitalism is repeatedly in crises. The so-called recovery is only a mirage. Contradictions among capitalist countries is growing,, G 20 comprising major economies of the world was reduced in effect to a ” group of 19 “due to the intransigence of the US President Donald Trump on a number of important global issues. Capitalism however is not falling apart. The so-called emerging economies along with the BRICS countries slowly but steadfastly are challenging the hegemony of the US both on economics and politics.

Comrades,

Under the rule of the present government in Sri Lanka people are oppressedon several fronts. Having come to power promising to establish good governance it is denying the democratic rights of the people including those of trade union. The democratic processes are also being restricted. You will remember how the people who protested against the privatization of the Hambantota Harbourwere beaten up. You will also remember how the goons of the government attacked workers who struck workat the petroleum storage facility inKolonnawawiihwooden rods.In November, 2015 the government promised the recognised political parties in the country to hold local government elections by April 2016 after disposing of the appeals in respect of the re-demarcation of wards. Instead the government has rolled back the electoral process altogether.

The government has refused to hold elections to the Provincial Councils elections as they become due. TheSupreme Court determined that the two-pagedTwentieth Amendment to the Constitutionwhich sought to postpone the Provincial Councils Elections requires to be passed by a two-thirds’ majority in parliament plus a referendum. What did the government do? It caused the bill to be passed with an over thirty-page amendment which was inconsistent with the SC determination.In this respect the Bar Association of Sri Lanka has pointed out that the government has undermined the rule of law.

The people’s living standards have been decimated. The economy is in shambles. The rate of inflation in August this year had risen to 9.4% compared with 3.2% in January 2015. The government which is sabotaging the massive development projects commenced by the previous government has not come out with any development projects of its own. Now it is planning to sell national assets.The rate of growth of the economy which was at 6-7 % under the previous government has come down to around 4 %. The present government has doomed the future of the country.

The massive corruption under present government has been exposed at the Presidential Commission on the issue of Central Bank Bonds and needs no elaboration.

The CPSL stands for a new constitution under which the people’s sovereignty is exercised through parliament. From the documents of the Steering Committee of the Constitutional Assembly which were presented to parliament recently it is evident that the United National Party and that part of the Sri Lanka Freedom Party in government are at logger heads in regard to certain fundamental issues pertaining to constitutional reforms including the abolition of the executive presidency. So how can a draft new constitution be passed by a two-thirds majority in parliament and be approved at areferendum ?

The real Opposition to the government is the Joint Opposition with 54 seats in parliament. It is not recgnised as the Official Opposition as its members come from an Alliance of parties which is led by the SLFP which is in government,.It is the Joint Opposition which is fighting for the people both inside parliament and outside. The majority of the people of the country are behind it. The Official Opposition - the Tamil National Alliance and the JanathaVimukthiPeramuna with 16 and 6 members in parliament respectively– has practically coalesced with the government.

Our party stands on the side of the people in the face of the challenges confronting them. We will create favourable conditions for the resolution of the problems facing the country. We wil steadfastly continue our strugglefor social progress. Our objective is socialism. Our present taskface is to work towards building a left and democratic alliance leading to the formation of a government led by those forces. That however cannot be achieved overnight. We will persist in our endeavour.

On July 3^rd , next year our party will be 75 years old. As said earlier this year we will celebrate the centenary of the October Revolution . The hundredth birth anniversary of our founder General Secretary, the late comrade Pieter Keuneman also falls this year. It has been commemorated in a fitting manner.

In the coming period we will carry on the struggle to defend the people’s interests giving priority to resolve the more urgent issues.We will strive to build a stronger party.We will also work for the strengthening of the Socialist Alliance comprising five left parties. The CPSL is also committed to build the unity and cohesion of the progressive forces in the country. We look forward to a better and productive future for the working people of our country.

Long live socialism.!

Long live proletarian Internationalism !