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12th International Meeting of Communist and Workers Parties

in Johannesburg, South Africa,

3rd - 5th December 2010.

Theme: "The deepening systemic crisis of capitalism. The tasks of communists in defense of sovereignty, deepening social alliances, strengthening the anti-imperialist front in the struggle for peace, progress and Socialism".

Intervention by chairman Svend Haakon Jacobsen

Communist Party of Norway.

Comrades,

Many thanks to the South African Communist Party for hosting this 12th international meeting of Communist and workers parties in Johannesburg, the first meeting on African soil. We know that you have started an initiative of a network of left progressive forces on the African continent to deepen the struggle for democracy, peace and for socialism. You also underline the necessity to continue deepening global working class solidarity. In this spirit you are today the natural host of this 12 ^th international Meeting of Communist and workers parties. Together we will strengthen the cooperation in our common fight for sovereignty, economic development, social justice and peace, against imperialism, fascism and war.

USA still is the largest economy, but their working class is serious struck by the deepening systemic crises. Every month more than 200000 workers loose their jobs. The working class have kept up their consumption by low rent cheap house loans. From 2010, and 2011 most of them have to start to pay down their mortgage in addition. Many more people are unemployed, and many have drastic lowered income.

The Economic policy of EU and IMF to reduce state deficits, the national European governments to receive loans are ordered to make huge economic cuts in the public sector, and in the salaries and pensions. Unemployment is radically increasing, the already poverty stricken are getting poorer, whilst the big monopolies and the finance oligarchy receive millions of taxpayers money in state support to save the finance system. The rich who cost the crises get all the support, and the workers and the people have to pay. Even capitalist economists agree that these policies are for sure deepening the international capitalist crises.

Norway is a rich country due to its oil and gas resources, lots of cheap clean turbine electric energy from a many big waterfalls and a long coast who till now has been rich on fish resources. Big finance capital in Norway has been gambling high in the unregulated international finance market, and lost a lot in the crises. Our “redgreen” Socialdemocratic government in Norway pursued the same policies as in the other western imperialist countries. Equivalent to 100 billion US dollars were redistributed to the big financial institutions, which helped the owners save the money they gambled away. Only equivalent to 4 billion US dollars was given for investments in the community sector that would create job possibilities for the young carpenters and industry workers who were unemployed in the crises. Norway has big international funds due to a much too high oil production. In the crises the governmental fund struck big blows, and took even another 100 billion US dollars in losses. Even in this situation Norway have no dept. Still the Socialdemocratic government accept a high permanent unemployed group of young people, the real unemployment rate is between 4 and 5 %, and is not going down.

The Socialdemocrats accept the EU policies, even if they do not have to, as Norway is not an EU member, only associated. They have crippled the Pension system, reduced the pension rights, and reduced the public pension for working people by 25-50%. Today we are fighting the Socialdemocratic reduction in public economic support for disabled and crippled people. Even if there is no economic necessity, the Socialdemocratic government is pursuing EU initiated reductions in public spending.

Anti communism has been strong in Norway since few years after the Second World War, and everything has been done to reduce the influence of the Communists Party.

Every newspaper in Norway receive governmental support to survive, except for the Communist Party Newspaper. We are fighting to make it real hard for them to reject us, and even if they do, we are still giving out an even better newspaper.

We are part of a strong movement against Norwegian membership in EU, which still holds majority between the Norwegian people.

We are fighting together with the radical part of the Norwegian trade union movement against the right wing economic policies of the “redgreen” Socialdemocratic government. But even if big and decisive numbers of trade unionists on the lower levels agree on fighting

new reactionary bills from the government, they are not properly organized and coordinated to win. We are working to strengthen our reorganized Communist Youth of Norway, to strengthen the Communist Party influence and participation in these important class fights.

Active youngsters of our reorganized Communist Youth of Norway are taking part in WUFTY 17 ^th Youth Festival here in Johannesburg 13 ^th till 21 ^st of December this year, one young woman is our party vice chairman.

The “redgreen” Socialdemocratic government has because of strong Cuba solidarity in cooperation with the Trade Unions normalized the relations with revolutionary Cuba. The Norwegian government is financing part of the Cuban doctors huge engagements to help the suffering people of Haiti. But comrades, at the same time the Norwegian Primeminister and Foreignminister fully supported Madelaine Albrights new and dangerous Nato concept that was decided in the Nato Top meeting in Lisbon 19 ^th till 20 ^th of November. They also allowed Nato forces to train on Norwegian soil, to stop peaceful demonstrations with heavy armed Nato troops, which means they are prepared to use fascist methods to control the working class fighting the harsh measures of capitalist crises.

Tv2 in Norway informed the public of the illegal US Embassy espionage on Norwegian citizens, but the government and the political parties in the Parliament covered up, and said what the Americans did was legal.

The Norwegian government and Parliament supported the Nobel committee giving the Nobel Peace Price to the Chinese dissident Liu Xiaobo who is sentenced to 11 years of prison for signing Charta08 endorsing the privileges of the bourgeois and unrammeled operation of capitalism in China, and agitating for subversion of the Chinese government and overthrow of the socialist system.

Our Socialdemocratic government is an errand boy of the US, also accepting dangerous developments on the Korean peninsula, based on well known pure lies from the South Koreans and the US administration about the sinking of South Korean warship Ceonan.

Thank you for your attention!