SPAIN Boycott June 15 election

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On June 15 Suarez' government of fascists will make its major attempt to date to mask itself with the forms of bourgeois democracy.

About 6,000 candidates will be contesting the 350 seats in the lower house of the national assembly under nearly 100 different party labels.

Candidates will be elected on a proportional representation list system in multi-member constituencies. There are seven parties and electoral alliances which are presenting candidates in more than . 25 constituencies and so have the right to national • radio and TV time during the elections.

The seven are the fascist Falange the fascist Popular Alliance, (led by Manuel Fraga), the Union of the Democratic Centre (an alliance of fascists, and Christian and Social Democrats led by Premier Suarez), the Christian Democratic Federation, the Popular Socialist Party, the Socialist Workers Party (the PSOE, the main reformist party) and finally the Communist The constituencies are jerrymandered in favour of the rural areas in order to devalue working class votes and give maximum benefit to the government and other fascist parties.

While other parties have TV and radio time, the Suarez regime still controls and heavily censors all news broadcasts.

Members of workers' pal ties have been harassed throughout the campaign by the state authorities and the bands of fascist thugs.

And there is still no word from the government about what powers the assembly will have when it is elected.

There is no doubt, therefore, that one thing which will not be happening on June 15 is "Spain's first democratic elections for 40 years.

SHAM

But this electoral sham is a response by the Suarez regime to the great offensive of the working class since Franco's death 18 months ago.

It is, in the strikingly appropriate words of Lenin about the Duma (parliament) election planned by the Tsar in 1905:

. a bait designed to draw the people away from the revolution. The bait was a dummy clothed in a dress of constitutionalism ... Participation in the elections was not just a matter-offact, simple performance of one's usual civic duties. It was the solemn inauguration of a • monarchist constitjition.

It was a turn from the revolutionary path to the monarchist constitutional path. The Social Democrats (revolutionaries) were bound at that time to unfurl their banner of protest ... refusing to take part, abstaining oneself and holding the people back, issuing a call for an assault on the old regime instead of working within the framework of an institution set up that reg lin, 31-32).

1e." plete Works, Vol 13 BOYCOTT That should also be the task of revolutionaries in Spain today-a campaign for the boycott of these elections as an offensive tactic in the battle to destroy Francoism.

[The next issue of Socialist Press will carry a full report on the elections from our correspondent in Spain] -Carrillo

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