13th International Meeting of Communist Parties : An event of major importance

More than 100 foreign delegates that represent 83 communist and workers’ parties from 64 countries of the world, from all continents  are expected to take part in the procedures of the 13^th international Meeting of Communist and Workers’ Parties which will be hosted by the KKE (Communist Party of Greece) in Athens on 9-11 December 2011.

The International Meetings of the CPs were initiated by the KKE 13 years ago, and met a big and positive response from dozens of CPs which understand the necessity for the communists to exchange views, to discuss the developments and the duties they face, to exchange experience but also to coordinate their joint activity.

These annual international meetings, which started in Athens, have been established as an important international event for the communist movement. They are no longer organized by a single Communist Party but by a Working Group of Communist Parties. Besides Athens, where they took place for 7 consecutive years they continued in Lisbon (Portugal),Minsk (Belarus), Sao Paolo (Brazil), New Delhi (India), Tshwane (South Africa). This year after a “trip” to 5 countries and 4 continents (Europe, America, Asia, Africa) they return to Athens (for this year).

The recognition of the significance of the workers’ and people’s struggles which have been developed over the recent years by the KKE , the All Workers’ Militant Front (PAME) and the other people’s rallies has played an important role in this decision. The slogan of the KKE in Acropolis in May 2010 which called on the people to rise up has become a symbol for the struggles that followed and continue up to now in Greece and in other countries and give hope and inspiration to the communists and the peoples who struggle.

The theme of the meeting this year is:

“Socialism is the future! The international situation and the experience of the communists 20 years after the counterrevolution in the USSR. The tasks for the development of the class struggle in conditions of capitalist crisis, imperialist wars, of the current popular struggles and uprisings, for working class-popular rights, the strengthening of proletarian internationalism and the anti-imperialist front, for the overthrow of capitalism and the construction of socialism”.

20 years after the overthrow of socialism in the USSR and the other countries of Central and Eastern Europe the largest meeting in terms of participation is expected to take place in Athens.

The list of the parties that take part in the meeting:

Country	Party
Azerbaijan	Communist Party of Azerbaijan
Albania	Communist Party of Albania
Algeria	Algerian Party for Democracy and Socialism
Armenia	Communist Party of Armenia
Australia	Communist Party of Australia
Bangladesh	Workers’ Party of Bangladesh
	Communist Party of Bangladesh
Bahrain	Democratic Progressive Tribune Bahrain
Belgium	Workers’ Party of Belgium
Brazil	Communist Party of Brazil
	Brazilian Communist Party
Britain	Communist Party of Britain
	New Communist Party of Britain
Bulgaria	Communist Party of Bulgaria
	Party of the Bulgarian Communists
Canada	Communist Party of Canada
Colombia	Colombian Communist Party
Croatia	Socialist Workers’ Party of Croatia
Cuba	Communist Party of Cuba
Cyprus	AKEL
Czech Republic	Communist Party of Bohemia Moravia
Denmark	Communist Party in Denmark
	Communist Party of Denmark
Egypt	Communist Party of Egypt
Finland	Communist Party of Finland
FYROM	Communist Party of Macedonia
France	French Communist Party
Germany	German Communist Party
Georgia	United Communist Party of Georgia
Greece	Communist Party of Greece
Hungary	Hungarian Communist Workers’ Party
India	Communist Party of India
	Communist Party of India (Marxist)
Iran	Tudeh Party of Iran
Iraq	Iraqi Communist Party
Ireland	Communist Party of Ireland
	Workers’ Party of Ireland
Israel	Communist Party of Israel
Italy	Party of the Italian Communists
Jordan	Jordanian Communist Party
People’s Democratic Republic of Korea	Workers’ Party of Korea
Laos	People’s Revolutionary Party of Laos
Latvia	Socialist Party of Latvia
Lebanon	Lebanese Communist Party
Lithuania	Socialist People’s Front Lithuania
Luxemburg	Communist Party of Luxemburg
Malta	Communist Party of Malta
Mexico	Communist Party of Mexico
	Popular Socialist Party of Mexico
Nepal	Communist Party of Nepal (UML)
Netherlands	New Communist Party of Netherlands
Norway	Communist Party of Norway
Palestine	Palestinian People’s Party
	Palestinian Communist Party
Pakistan	Communist Party of Pakistan
Paraguay	Paraguayan Communist Party
Peru	Peruvian Communist Party
	Communist Party of Peru (Patria Roja)
Poland	Communist Party of Poland
Portugal	Portuguese Communist Party
Romania	Romanian Communist Party
Russia	Communist Party of the Russian Federation
	Communist Workers' Party of Russia - Revolutionary Party of Communists
	Communist Party of the Soviet Union
	Union of Communist Parties — Communist Party of the Soviet Union
Serbia	New Communist Party of Yugoslavia
	Party of Communists of Serbia
Sri Lanka	Communist Party of Sri Lanka
South Africa	South African Communist Party
Spain	Communist Party of Spain
	Communist Party of the People’s of Spain
	Party of the Communists of Catalonia
Sudan	Sudanese Communist Party
Sweden	Communist Party of Sweden
Syria	Syrian Communist Party
	Syrian Communist Party (United)
Turkey	Communist Party of Turkey
	Labour Party (ΕΜΕΡ), Turkey
USA	Communist Party USA
Ukraine	Communist Party of Ukraine
	Union of Communists of Ukraine
Venezuela	Communist Party of Venezuela
Vietnam	Communist Party Vietnam

CPI-M demands judicial inquiry into Bengal police firing

The Communist Party of India-Marxist West Bengal State Committee demanded a judicial inquiry into the police firing in West Bengal's South 24 Parganas - which claimed two lives - and asked for a "stable job" for family members of those killed. Leader of Opposition in Assembly Surya Kanta Mishra said: “The Government has to be blamed for it.” Speaking to reporters at a press conference Mishra said a six-member team they sent to the spot found the administration responsible for the deaths.

A woman and a 14-year-old girl died and several were injured in the police firing. Several cops were also injured in the mob fury.

"A stable job should be given to the family members of those killed in this unfortunate incident. Various police officers have given different accounts of the incident. Only through a judicial inquiry the truth can be revealed," former state minister and CPI-M leader Abdur Rezzak Mollah said. He, along with several other lawmakers from the party, will meet Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee to give their account of the incident. "We are slated to meet the chief minister Dec 9 and there we will give our account of the incident," added Mollah. The CPI-M had also called for a 12-hour shutdown in South 24 Parganas to protest against "police excesses", said Mollah. Two people were killed and 22 others, including 16 policemen, injured as clashes between a mob and security forces over illegal electric connections in Magrahat in Thursday led to police opening fire. Mollah and other leaders also criticised Banerjee for blaming the CPI-M for the incident. "She already has started to blame us. But she must know that we are neither at the government nor at the panchayat or block level. Then how can we get the police to fire. It is they (Trinamool Congress) who are the culprits," said Mollah.