CP blocks road to CP blocks road to workers government

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The death sentences passed on the two SWAPO militants Hendrik Shikongo and Aaron Muchinba by the South African government in illegal occupation of Namibia must be condemned throughout the labour movement.

All measures to secure their reversal must be given support.

They completely expose any talk of 'self determination' for Namibians and show the determination of the Vorster regime to hang onto Namibia with its rich deposits of Uranium and diamonds by all means necessary including the murder of those fighting for independence.

South Africa is currently The Italian general elections on June 20th offer the opportunity for an important advance by the working class towards a socialist solution to Italy's deep economic and social crisis.

But a huge obstacle stands in the way - the policy of the Italian Communist Party.

In the electoral campaign the CP leaders present the • party as a saviour of the Italian "nation" (that is, of Italian capitalism), and never as the leader of the Italian working class.

The aim of the party leadership remains the establishment of an emergency 'national' government including all the 'democratic' parties from the CP to the Liberals. The only specifically excluded party is the fascist MSI.

"COMPROMISE"

This is a variation on the 'historic compromise' formula for a Communist and Christian Democrat government which, the Cl leaders say, remains their long term aim.

The new plan for a broader emergency coalition is the formula which for several months has been the policy of the Socialist Party.

The Christian Democrats for their part have ruled out in advanceany coalition with the CP, and on their behalf the Vatican is waging the most hysterical anti-communist campaign since 1948, when voting communist was made grounds for ex-communication.

The Christian Democrat leaders are pinning their hopes on another centre-leit coalition with the Socialist Party, which has in its participation in any government however, ruled out without the CP.

The left sections of the Socialist Party have begun calling for a coalition of workers' parties should they together get a majority in parliament as at present seems likely. And the CP has not excluded this possibility if the Christian Democrats cannot be persuaded to join a broad "national' coalition.

The only way forward for the Italian working class after these elections is through the formation of a government of the Communist, Socialist and other workers' parties.

The recent statements of the CP and Socialist leaders contemplate the possibility of such a coalition; but they do so in an utterly opportunistic and unprincipled way.

The CP General Secretary Enrico Berlinguer has said that even if the workers' parties are 'forced' to form their own government, they will leave the door open at any time for the capitalist parties to join the coalition.

These treacherous positions of the CP and Socialist Party leaders make it clear that the establishment of a government of workers' parties, though it is an indispensable step for the Italian working class, would by itself solve none of the problems which the capitalist crisis is loading onto the backs of Italian workers.

It would be not the end of a fight but the beginning • The leaders of such a government must be forced to abandon the reactionary policies on which they are fighting this election campaign:

In it they have expressed hostility. to further nationalisation; they have given tacit and sometimes open support to wage control; they have warmly supported the EEC; and say firmly that Italy should remain in the NATO alliance!

Such policies must be replaced with policies which can protect workers against the effects of the capitalist crisis and lead on to the introduction of socialism rather than back to the reestablishment of capitalist profitability at the workers' expense.

The struggle will therefore inevitably be one about the leadership of the working class. Leaders who claim to fight for the interests of the working class must be forced to substantiate their words in practice.

And when they do not, a fight must be waged to replace them.

Proletarian Democracy, the alliance of left wing parties which is fighting the election with joint lists of candidates, has correctly called for the establishment of a ment coalition of workers govern.

after the elections.

The present signs are that this call is gaining large scale support among the vanguard of the Italian working class. The programme of Proletarian Democracy calls for more nationalisation and for Italy's withdrawal from NATO.

But it fails either to take up plainly the question of leadership or to unite its demands into a coherent programme.

Unless it can do these things Proletarian Democracy will inevitably become more and more a left cover for the CP at a decisive moment when the political survival and advance of the Italian working class demands a clear and principled revolutionary leadership.