First Published: People’s Canada Daily News Release, April 6, 1972
Transcription, Editing and Markup: Malcolm and Paul Saba
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Vancouver (PCDN) April 3 – The third plenum of the Twenty-First Central Committee of the Communist Party of Canada (Marxist-Leninist) held in Vancouver, B.C. from March 18 to 27, 1972 took many important decisions. A partial summary of these decisions follows:
1. Comrade Bains, who has been the organizer of the INTERNATIONALISTS since March 1963, has held the position of National Secretary since the reorganization of the INTERNATIONALISTS in May 1968, and was elected National Secretary at the first plenum of the Twenty-First Central Committee of the Communist Party of Canada (Marxist-Leninist) in May, 1971, resigned as National Secretary.
Comrade Robert A. Cruise, who has been associated with the INTERNATIONALISTS since fall, 1966 and has been the leading spokesman of the Communist Party of Canada (Marxist-Leninist) since its founding in March 1970 to December 1970 and who was suspended from all positions in the Party at the second plenum of the Twenty First Central Committee of the CPC (M-L) held in Toronto in August 1971 and was publicly criticized for his violation of inner-party discipline and pushing an incorrect political line, and who, immediately after suspension, offered public self-criticism and who since that time and especially after his release from jail has shown tremendous spirit in opposing his erroneous practice and doing self-criticism in practice and who is responsible for setting the new trend of changing self in full view of the masses, has been unanimously elected to the position of National Secretary of the Communist Party of Canada (Marxist-Leninist). He was also nominated as the leading spokesman of the Party.
4. In opposing the counter-revolutionary alliance of the social fascists and police spies, the general line of using mass democracy as the method of 1. Isolating the enemy and 2. Raising the political level and PUTTING DARING IN COMMAND of everything was adopted. Flightism and jackalism were denounced. The bourgeois individualist lines of not organizing underground and not organizing in time and not daring to suffer setbacks for the purpose of advancing revolution were denounced.
5. The general line of opposition to liberalism, communalism and nazism was taken and the method of dealing with these poisonous weeds be letting them grow and then mobilising the masses against them was adopted.
6. SIX POINTS FOR ATTENTION were adopted:
I. The history of the struggle to build a genuinely proletarian party (history of 1860’s to 1972).
II. Keen attention to upholding Marxistn-Leninism-Mao Tsetung Thought as the basis of building the Party and constant opposition to and struggle against liquidators, mystifiers, old and new revisionists and police spies.
III. Constant attention to building the revolutionary currents amongst the people which will prepare the material conditions for over-all revolution. These currents are in the main thirteen different types; but with one goal and one enemy.
IV. Close attention to the COMMUNIST MANIFESTO FOR CANADA and popularising it amongst the masses.
V. Close attention to the correct handling of contradictions in building the Party, close adherence to correct methods of work.
VI Close attention to building the United Front.
7. The year starting from March, 1972 and ending on March 13, 1973 with nation-wide celebrations of the TENTH ANNIVERSARY OF THE FOUNDING OF THE INTERNATIONALISTS (March 13. 1963) was characterized as THE YEAR OF THE NEW in the sense that the entire history of building the Party from the 1860’s to 1972 be popularized and the role played by the INTERNATIONALISTS be emphasized and their contribution explained.
17. The name of Comrade Robert A. Cruise was added to the Presidium and Comrade Georgina Olivere was deprived of the authority to speak in the name of the Party of any of its organizations, but she still remains on the Presidium.
21. The third plenum approved the general method of handling contradictions inside the Party:
I. When a contradiction arises, the local secretary of that particular level investigates closely the root of the contradiction, listens to the individual or individuals concerned and if the contradiction is important and cannot be resolved informally, then requests the individuals concerned to write their report and popularize it amongst all formal members and candidate members of that branch. Then the secretat reads the report, listens to opinions of others and writes his report. Wherever there is a dispute over the facts it is recorded and the two reports go to the higher level up to the level where the contradiction is resolved and the entire procecdure and the decisions are explained to the branch concerned.
II. If the contradiction cannot be resolved by the National Executive Committee, then a plenum of the Central Committee will be called and before that plenum is called, the entire Party is made conscious of the existence of the contradiction through constant discussions. When the plenum meets, the entire report is presented, decisions taken and sent down to all branches for discussion.
III. All decisions of the plenum of the Central Committee will be ratified by the National Congress.
IV. If the contradiction is amongst the people and the individuals concerned support the Party and remain loyal, then the entire procedure will be completed and the method of persuasion used to deal with the problem.
V. If the individuals become wild and give themselves the right to attack the Party and do so in practice and organize against the Party...then to continue the procedre is mere fraud. In that case, the real fact that they are no longer in the Party is recognized and public opinion is created against them on all levels and general political and ideological propaganda is done openly against their counter-revolutionary lines.
VI. In handling contradictions amongst the people, our main motive is to “cure the sickness to save the patient!” and to strengthen the solidity of the Party and correctness of the political line. Class struggle for any other reasons, that is, for dismemberment and liquidation of the Party...must be dealt with severely and with the thoroughgoing mobilization of the members and supporters against such bourgeois agents.
25. The third plenum decided to reproduce once again the GUIDELINES FOR DEVELOPING FRATERNAL RELATIONS (which are reprinted at the end of this report) between organizations and individuals released by the INTERNATIONALISTS on August 15, 1967 and popularize these in the progressive circles. The third plenum strongly promotes friendly relations amongst all organizations and individuals who are involved in anti-imperialist work and, at no time, will the Party attack and one who does not attack the Party irrespective of their political line. Our attacks are reserved for imperialists, social imperialists and reactionaries and their agents in the Party and in the ranks of the People. The third plenum firmly supports the line that people should get together and deal with problems on the non-antagonistic basis and use antagonism only against imperialists, social imperialists and reactionaries.
26. The third plenum fully supported the right to self-determination and secession for the people of Quebec but this support absolutely does not mean that Canadian communists and Quebec communists also divide. The destiny of the two people is bound up with one another and it is the Canadian monopoly capitalist class which is promoting localism, regionalism and bourgeois nationalism to divide the people. The third plenum took a firm position that no one can divide the two sister parties of Canada and Quebec and any attempt at division and promotion of narrow nationalism in the midst of the communists in the name of “national liberation” will be firmly opposed. It is crystal clear that there is a national liberation struggle in Quebec and anti- imperialist revolution in Canada: The two peoples support one another and unite by fighting their enemies and building their organizations which are very closely linked with one another. Any attempt at creating division under the hoax that “Quebec communists should lead themselves” will be vigorously opposed.
Amongst communists and genuine Marxist-Leninists there are firm ties of communism and proletarian internationalism and not of social and national chauvinism and regionalism and localism. We must firmly oppose these “friends of the Quebec people” whose interest is to divide the communists and liquidate the communist movement. There is one communist movement in Canada and Quebec and that is the movement led by CPC(M-L) and CPQ (M- L) and the two cannot be posed one against the other under any pretext.
27. The third plenum adopted the proletarian revolutionary line developed by Comrade Bains over the last nine years as the theory and tactics of the Canadian revolution and recognized that this line has solved some initial problems in building the Party and arousing the masses and that it is in no way fully developed and complete as the basic question of the seizure of state power is yet to be solved. By resolutely upholding the proletarian revolutionary line of Comrade Bains we will certainly continue this initial beginning towards building the Party, building the United Front and solving the problem of seizure of state power.
29. The third plenum emphasized that we should begin from the real world, from practice, learn from it, derive theory and tactics in the course of dealing with various problems and repeat this process. We keep Marxism-Leninism-Mao Tsetung Thought as the most reliable theoretical foundation of our Party and at no time can we start from concepts and become braggards and windbags who have read a few books nor can we ignore revolutionary theory which illuminates the path of practice. The history of the last nine years shows that we started from the real world and dealt with various problems we faced there and in the course of dealing with these problems used Mao Tsetung Thought as a guide to action and found the living connection between theory and practice and gave rise to definite theoretical and tactical guidelines for the mass democratic anti-imperialist revolution in Canada.
30. The third plenum emphasized the need to wage resolute struggle against social-imperialism on the ideological front. Our revolutionary experience has shown us that social-imperialist ideology has the following main characteristics: I. Denying the existence of historical experience. II. Denying the participation of the masses in the historical process. III. Using differences to divide the people. IV. Putting detail in command of the overall.
33. The third plenum resolutely opposes BOOK WORSHIP and certainly believes that the MORE YOU STUDY, MORE FOOLISH YOU BECOME!
40. The third plenum fully supports our fraternal Party, the Communist Party of India (Marxist-Leninist) under the leadership of Comrade Charu Mazumdar and considers the Sataya Narian clique as the curs and swine of the Khrushchevite revisionists.
41. The third plenum reaffirms its support for the Communist Party of Ireland (Marxist-Leninist) and the English Communist Movement (Marxist-Leninist).
42. The third plenum reaffirms its support for the American Communist Workers Movement (Marxist-Leninist) and will continue to build close ties with them.
43. The third plenum considers the Communist Party of China and the Albanian Party of Labour as the leading parties of the International Communist Movement and fully affirms its support for them.
44. The third plenum reaffirms its deep desire to build close relations with all genuine Marxist-Leninist parties and groups and goes on record to state that we firmly support those who are applying Mao Tsetung Thought to their own conditions and that it is only a matter of time before we will develop ties with them.
45. The third plenum warmly hails the formation and second anniversary of the Royal Government of National Union of Cambodia and provides them full support in their war of national liberation.
46. The third plenum warmly hails the restoration of the legitimate rights of the People’s Republic of China in the United Nations.
47. The third plenum firmly supports the Democratic Republic of Vietnam and the national liberation struggle of south Viet Nam and their Provisional Revolutionary Government.
48. The third plenum firmly supports the Government of the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea and the struggle of the Korean people for national liberation and re-unification.
49. The third plenum fully supports the Lao Patriotic Front and the struggle of the Laotian people for national liberation.
50. The third plenum fully supports the national liberation struggle of the Palestinian people.
51. The third plenum fully supports the struggle of the Irish people against British imperialism and for re-unification of their country.
52. The third plenum adopted as its basic general policy to support all countries who are struggling for independence, all nations who are fighting for liberation and all people who are demanding revolution.
53. The third plenum resolutely denounces the U.S. imperialists for their policies of aggression and war, their continued struggle for world hegemony and their policies of intervention, subversion and meddling in the internal affairs of other countries.
54. The third plenum resolutely denounces the Soviet social-imperialists for their policies of aggression and war, their continued struggle for world hegemony and their policies of intervention, subversion and meddling in the internal affairs of other countries.
55. The third plenum resolutely denounces the British imperialists for their support to the racist government of Ian Smith of Rhodesia and their continued suppression of the Irish people’s struggle for civil rights and national unification.
56. The third plenum resolutely denounces the Japanese regime for continuing their policy of militarization, their clumsy efforts to take over Taiwan and their continuous support for the occupation of South Korea and threats to the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea.
57. The third plenum resolutely denounces the Indian reactionaries for their armed occupation of East Pakistan and the establishment of the quisling regime of Mujibur Rahman.
58. The third plenum resolutely denounces the Trudeau regime for recognizing “Bangla Desh” and their continued policy of support for imperialist and social-imperialist policies of aggression and war.
59. The third plenum resolutely denounces the Trudeau regime’s nefarious policy of deportation of immigrants and national minorities on political grounds.
60. The third plenum resolutely denounces all the social fascists and police spies who are engaged in their dirty deals of subverting the United Front and liquidating the Party.
61. The third plenum resolutely denounces the racial discrimination and violent repression of the Afro-American people and other nationalities in the US by the US imperialists.
62. The third plenum hails the fighting spirit of George Jackson, a great martyr to the cause of world revolution.
63. The third plenum hails Comrade Martin Bracey for his courageous stand against racial discrimination and political repression.
64. The third plenum hails all our comrades and friends who participated in the RESISTANCE MOVEMENT and served the cause of the Canadian revolution.
65. The third plenum hails the spirit of Comrade Bill Shpikula for his staunch struggle against fascist rules and regulations.
66. The third plenum hails the spirit of the women comrades who most militantly participated in the RESISTANCE MOVEMENT and did not flinch from the revolutionary path.
67. The third plenum hails the anti-imperialist spirit of the Canadian people and the great revolutionary spirit of the Canadian working class and people.
LONG LIVE THE CANADIAN WORKING CLASS AND PEOPLE!
LONG LIVE THE QUEBEC WORKING CL4SS AND PEOPLE!