Statement of the Central Committee of the PCP, of November 8, 2015

 

The PCP’s Central Committee, meeting in the November 8, 2015, examined the developments of the resulting policy framework of the 4 October elections and economic and social situation that the workers and the people are confronted; identified the development of the mass struggle as a central element to ensure rising living standards and emphasized the strategic importance of strengthening implementation of the Party lines, its connection with the masses and immediate political tasks, including the presidential elections

I

1. The legislative elections confirmed what has long workers and the people came saying its struggle – the defeat of the PSD / CDS-PP and its policy. A policy whose consequences continue to mark the lives of workers, the people and the country and the economic and financial groups looking to see pursued, as are its stakeholders and beneficiaries.
2. The manipulative campaign around the election results, the decision of the President of Rabbit Steps nomination to form government associated with the severity of the content of its communication to the country, constitute elements of a concerted action to demand that the country remains subordinate to interests of monopoly capital and the capitalist European integration.

The Central Committee denounces the deplorable attitude of the President who took over as representative of the PSD and CDS-PP and representative of the interests of big business deciding, in defiance of the hearing to the parties in parliament supported the inference, the nomination of PSD leader as prime minister.

The intervention Cavaco Silva is another example of the assumed confrontation with the Portuguese Constitution that has characterized his political career and his presidential mandates, undermining the foundations of democracy and exposing the country to an attitude of humiliating foreign subservience.

The intervention Cavaco Silva is associated with the development of a brutal ideological offensive last month, from various players and taking various forms, placed at the center of its action the attack on the CFP and the use of blackmail, to fear, lies and demagoguery.

The Central Committee does not recognize the Cavaco Silva nor political legitimacy or democratic dimension to elaborate about the role and the way the CFP as unavoidable Party in the establishment of democratic rule in Portuguese democracy and national political life and condemns their attitude support for a government and a policy that both trail of destruction has left the country.

3. A trail of destruction as the consequences become more evident as the economic and social reality confronts illusion, lie, propaganda and demagoguery carried out by the government.

What is the current situation reveals the real unemployment reaching over one million one hundred thousand Portuguese; that the new contracts of employment, 80% are poor; the harsh reality of workers for others and in particular the 20% who earn a salary less than the national minimum wage; the overwhelming majority of reforms to lower poverty line; cutting, according to the data of budget implementation, in expenditure on social benefits of EUR 520 million in the first nine months of 2015; the two million eight hundred thousand Portuguese at risk of poverty, according to INE data; the high degree of weakening of the productive apparatus and increasing dominance of strategic decision centers by foreign; a six production breaks and a half percentage points that neither in 2017 will be restored; a fall in global investment of 30% and 50% in public investment with heavy and serious future consequences; the unsustainable public debt; the huge scam the promised return of 35.3% of the IRS surcharge and the prospect of new and substantial support to the bank.

The Central Committee denounced also the illegitimate and abusive decision of limited government to the current management to involve the state as a guarantor of debts that may result from ruinous delivery process of TAP to big business. It should also be noted as promiscuity level developer with monopoly capital that the former Secretary of State for Transport, who led the concession and privatization processes of companies in this sector have now been hired by the Bank of Portugal to drive the delivery of the New Bank.

4. A social and economic reality that is the will of PSD and CDS-PP maintain and worsen, point it became clear the content of the government program delivered on the 6th of November.

Ignoring the serious structural problems of the country that continue insisting on the misconception that their policy has led to an economic recovery path, repeating empty proclamations regarding solving social problems such as unemployment or poverty and seeking to evade the reality of growing difficulties that reach workers and the people, that the government PSD / CDS-PP presents is the prospect of continuing and intensifying the policy that worsened the exploitation and impoverishment, deepened injustice and inequality and imposed the degradation of democracy.

PSD and CDS-PP still seek to redeem themselves themselves from electoral defeat they suffered integrating in the Government Programme measures and promises aimed at creating the illusion that now would be able and willing to reverse the direction of its policy by reversing some of the decisions that hit the workers and the people over the past four years.

However, confirming the objective of PSD and CDS-PP continue their policy of exploitation and impoverishment, the Government Programme confirms the many compelling reasons for the Government PSD / CDS-PP does not come into functions, not only for losses It has caused but also by those who wanted to continue to cause the workers, the people and the country.

The Central Committee of PCP reaffirms the decision to file a motion rejecting the Government Programme PSD / CDS-PP.

5.The Central Committee of the PCP stresses the importance of the new balance of power in parliament and the potential that can act to address the most urgent problems affecting the workers and peoples. The Central Committee emphasizes that there is no maneuvers they can dodge the heavy defeat of the PSD and CDS-PP, the good result obtained by the CDU and the affirmation of the role and initiative of the Portuguese Communist Party which was confirmed as an irreplaceable force for present and future of the country.

II

1. The clear defeat of the coalition PSD / CDS-PP in the October 4 elections, the new balance of power in Parliament and developments entailed expose, very clearly, that PSD / CDS-PP have lost not only political legitimacy, as the institutional conditions to remain in the government of the country.

The effort made from the PSD / CDS-PP coalition, the set of commentators at your service and the mainstream media, to present as winners defeated in elections, succumbed to the initiative of the CFP that since 4 October, stressed that PSD and CDS-PP were unable to alone, pursue the resulting national disaster policy of your government action over the past four years. Initiative also revealed and in all its dimensions, which the PCP said in response to that reduced the election to a false contention for Prime Minister for the political party or government, ie: what truly decide on elections for the National Assembly is the number of seats that each political force elected, parliamentary majorities that are formed in the National Assembly, the institutional base that is created to support a particular policy and the government can take office.

The PCP took the initiative and pointed out the need to extract political and institutional consequences of the election results. The sentence imposed on the coalition PSD / CDS-PP was not only a defeat of his government, was also its policy. This change was the requirement of expression of national political life that the PCP said. It was, and is, the expectation of a policy able to ensure economic development, return stolen income and rights, valuing salaries and pensions, promote employment and combat injustice, restore the full right to health and education, ensuring sound social security and higher levels of social protection, ensure quality public services, workers and the people they aspire to see realized.

The new political and institutional reality arising from the elections and the desire for change expressed by the people put it, and puts the requirement and responsibility to ensure the interruption of the path pursued by the previous government. It is this responsibility that is imposed materialize.

2. As the PCP stressed, the path of convergence for a policy that represents a real and profound change in national political life is neither easy nor simple. He knew and never eluded this patented difficulty either in very different electoral programs, or absence of PS option for the rupture with the right policy.

But also as the PCP said, this does not preclude that, in the face of a new political and institutional framework, the CFP does not spare efforts, responding to the interests of workers and the people and honoring their commitments, work and struggle to answer it . That’s what serious and committed the PCP did.

According to the decisions of the Central Committee of 6 October which states that “both the pretensions of Cavaco Silva, whether those of Passos Coelho and Paulo Portas, will only be realized if the PS is willing to facilitate and to be supporting force a new government PSD / CDS-PP “and that in the framework of the Portuguese Constitution, the PS just no way government does not want, as well as the Declaration of 7 October, the PCP examined in recent weeks political solutions corresponding to situation.

The approach and mutual assessment between the PS and the PCP identified a number of matters where it is possible to ensure a convergent action to address some of the immediate problems of the workers and the Portuguese people. The real possibility is open to, among others, to take steps in return for wages and incomes, to replenish the pension supplement of the state of the business sector workers, to value wages and halt the continued degradation of pensions, to repay part of the benefits subject to the means test, to reset the holidays taken, to ensure better access to the rights to health and education, to reverse the concession and privatization processes of land transport companies.

However, the work also confirmed that convergence around a government and a government program, as recognized by both parties, includes a requirement level as the decisive choices of national policy are not met, taking into account the recognized and proven divergent view either on the external constraints and in terms of addressing the interests of big business.

The degree of convergence checked should be reflected in the degree of commitment that matches you. Enhancing the level of convergence, the Central Committee of the PCP reaffirms that are however created the conditions for, in the current circumstances, ensure governance solution that prevents PSD and CDS-PP pursue the country’s destruction policy and contribute to curb onerous aspects in meaning of reversing the path taken so far. There in the new parliamentary matters a majority of MPs constituting condition enough for the formation of a PS initiative of government, which allows the presentation of their program, their duties and the adoption of a policy to ensure a lasting solution in perspective the legislature.

Carry out an evaluation of the work done with the PS and checking the degree of achieved convergence and the level of commitment that you can match the Central Committee of the PCP confirmed the terms of the “Joint Position of PS and PCP on political solution” sent the PS and also been approved by the PS, will eventually have its formalization and public presentation. They are well met by the CFP the conditions to consummate the defeat of the government PSD / CDS-PP and enable the formation of a government of the PS initiative.

Nothing can evade that exists in Parliament an institutional base that will go as far as is the willingness of each political force that makes up to support the way of replacement wages and income, the return of rights, access to health strengthening , education and social security, in supporting micro, small and medium enterprises, pensioners, young people and that can enable the implementation of a set of measures and solutions that address immediate interests of workers and the people.

3. The Central Committee of the PCP stresses that there is in the current balance of forces in Parliament to present conditions and approve initiatives that respond to the rights and aspirations of the workers and the people, and that nothing shall prevent the formation of a PS government initiative . And above all it points out that under the present circumstances, no serious justification there is for the PS does not assume its responsibility to contribute to reject the government’s program PSD / CDS-PP now sworn in and to ward off these parties governance of the country. The Central Committee PCP reaffirms further that any institutional or political reason can be invoked by the President to question this governance solution.
4. The workers and the people can rely on the PCP took before them and the country: we will take the initiative and will miss not supported any measure that matches your interests, to the increase of their income and the replacement of their rights ; as well as non caucionaremos measures and policies that threaten their interests and rights. That is the commitment each time the CFP renews, with the sure guarantee of your commitment to, without giving up their ideological and political independence, contribute to ensuring the country to a path of economic development, social progress and national independence.
5. The possibility now open, and that should not be missed, unresponsive and at the same time confirms the essential aim of rupture with the right policy and the implementation of a patriotic policy and left. A policy that the PCP reaffirms as absolutely essential to break the power of monopoly capital and the limitations and constraints stemming from the capitalist integration of the European Union and its instruments of domination. A policy based on economic growth and promoting employment, recovery of wages and pensions, the replacement of individual and collective rights of employees in the defense and affirmation of the social functions of the state and public services, the recovery by the State control strategic sectors, starting with the banking, fair fiscal policy to ease taxes on workers and the people and heavily taxed profits, dividends and financial transactions of big business, which register the urgent renegotiation of the debt as a condition of development, which recover economic, fiscal and monetary sovereignty.

It is this objective that the workers and the people, democrats and patriots, as all want to ensure the right to a Portugal with a future will continue to take in hand with its intervention and their struggle.

III

1. The Central Committee of the PCP stresses the important initiative and intense party activity in the demanding period since the elections to the Parliament, welcomes organizations and Party members and the IOC for their work and reaffirms the importance of the lines work aimed at its last meeting and the need to pursue with commitment and initiative.
2. The Central Committee of the PCP stresses the importance of the workers’ struggle and the development of the people, as exemplified by the struggles of transport workers, Carris, Metro, Rail, port workers, Public Administration and students.

In the current situation deserves particular attention, following a more than two-year struggle that, resisting the interference of the government PSD / CDS-PP, secured the fixing of 35 hours of work in most local authorities, now recognized by the decision the Constitutional Court and with the publication of the Collective Agreements Entity Public Employer (ACEEP). A great victory for workers pointing to the possibility of replenishment of 35 hours of work for all workers in public administration. They are still to highlight the achievements of the struggle of teachers for the purpose of evaluation test of knowledge and skills, as well as the progress made in the fight developed in various sectors and companies.

The development of vindictive action and struggle of workers and peoples, and the strengthening of organizations and unit mass movements is a task of utmost importance. In time near is particularly important concentration convened by the CGTP-IN for the next day November 10, next to the Parliament, in order to consummate the coalition’s defeat PSD / CDS-PP, complaining answers to the demands of the workers and affirm the need a policy that promotes economic development to workers’ service, the people and the country.

3. The Central Committee emphasizes the initiative and Party policy intervention, including hundreds of meetings and plenary sessions, as well as rallies, meetings, information and advertising actions, meetings and contacts with citizens without party affiliation, and intervention in the Assembly the Republic and the European Parliament.

Fulfilling the commitment to workers and the people, the PCP has submitted to the Parliament a set of legislative initiatives for the recovery of cut rights and the reversal of steps taken by PSD / CDS-PP.

The first set of initiatives – proposing the replacement of the 35-hour working week in the Public Administration, the replacement of holidays taken, replacement of the payment of pension supplements in the State Business Sector companies and the repeal of coercive measures and conditioning on women access to abortion – followed by those relating to the cancellation and reversal of mergers, restructuring and sub-granting companies Carris and Lisbon Metro, the privatization of EGF and CP-load, the merger of REFER to the Estradas de Portugal, as well as the sub STCP and Metro do Porto. The initiative in the National Assembly will continue, reflecting the combined commitments of the CFP with the workers and the Portuguese people.

4. The Central Committee of the PCP stresses the undeniable importance of the Presidential Elections in the context of the current situation in the country.

The applications framework already now known and the development of pre-campaign confirms the correctness of PCP’s decision to present the candidacy of Edgar Silva, proves the distinct nature and positioning of this, and clearly shows its essential and irreplaceable role in this political battle .

An application that since its announcement, collecting a growing current support and revealing a significant participation and enlargement, says a sense of confidence in the possibilities of the country and in the strength and capabilities of the people to build another direction in national politics.

The Central Committee calls on the mobilization of the whole Party to the achievement of the necessary tasks related to the presidential elections, as well as the intensification of contact action and enlightenment, a framework in which each support is the best contribution to a strong vote in Application Edgar Silva. A truly coherent and combative application, committed to the interests of workers and the people, linked to the values ​​of April and the Constitution of the Republic, an application that does not give up Portugal and hit by a developed country, fair and sovereign.

5. The Central Committee values ​​the protest actions conducted by the peace movement in Portugal against the NATO exercises and stresses the importance of developing the struggle for peace and international solidarity and the dissolution of NATO. In terms of international operations, the Central Committee of the PCP points to participate in a solidarity mission to Palestine and the realization of the 17th Meeting of Communist and Workers’ Parties of 30 October to 1 November in Istanbul, Turkey and reaffirms its commitment to the strengthening of the international communist movement and revolutionary and anti-imperialist front.
6. The Central Committee of the PCP stresses the celebration of the 98th anniversary initiatives of the October Revolution and the highlights of the sixth presentation session take the works chosen Alvaro Cunhal which takes place on 12 November.
7. The Central Committee of the PCP, following the decision of its last meeting on the specific action to be undertaken by the end of 2016, implementing the Resolution “More organization, more intervention, more influence – a stronger PCP” says the need to move decisively in defining and planning objectives in accordance with the defined directions and progress in implementing concrete measures Party booster.
8. The Central Committee of the PCP stresses the progress of the national campaign funds “More space. More Party. Future Abril “, considers necessary to continue to adopt measures to ensure its success, while beginning preparations for the 40th edition of the Feast of the” Avante “!, to be held on 2, 3 and 4 September 2016 , which will integrate in your project using the Quinta do Cabo.

IV

The current situation demonstrates the role and initiative of the Portuguese Communist Party, its unwavering commitment to the workers and the inseparable people of his communist identity, the need for its strengthening, the articulation of immediate intervention with the struggle for a patriotic alternative left, for an advanced democracy, socialism and communism.