Sixth Congress of Communist
Party of Nepal
(Unified Marxist-Leninist)
(Here we are presenting excerpts from the draft
political report to be presented at the Sixth Congress of CPN(UML) to be held
in the last week of January, 1998-Ed.)
On International Situation:
In countries like China, Viet Nam, North Korea, Laos and Cuba, communist parties in government surpassing many adverse factors are consistently advancing in the road of construction of a consolidated socialist system. Emphasising a balanced development of both material and moral aspects, the 15th national congress of Chinese Communist Party has concluded a few months before. This Congress has put forth a firm commitment to advance China as a prosperous and strong socialist country so as to skillfully and capably utilise the great potential of 21st century. A country with largest population, China is successfully conducting socialist market economy and utilising foreign capital to fulfill the basic human needs of country’s people. Hong Kong, after getting freed from British colonialism has come under the sovereignty of China. Ensuring rapid economic growth, raising the living standard of Chinese people to prosperity, China under the leadership of CPC has put up a good example of social security. The CPC ... has resolved to construct and develop socialism with Chinese characteristics while reaffirming its unshakable faith on Marxism.
In the meantime, in South Asia leftists got an opportunity to play a role in running the affairs of central government in a large country like India. In a situation in which leaders of almost all the big bourgeois parties stood discredited before the people on the charge of corruption and scams, only communist parties like CPI, CPI(M) and CPI(ML) came up free from the discredit. These parties have expanded their influence. The organisational expansion, successes in elections and government formation by CPN(UML) is most significant in the development and expansion of communist movement in south Asia.
In the developed capitalist countries, attraction towards Marxism and socialism is increasing among the people. Capitalist parties are turning unpopular. Results of general elections show this.
Despite attempts to safeguard imperialist interests by expanding the NATO umbrella following the end of cold war, the clash of economic and political interests among capitalist countries is increasing in newer forms. Therefore, the multipolar reality of the world is seeking to get reflected and established in the UNO.
Various forms of opposition and resistance by most of the countries of the world against the attempts by imperialist-capitalist countries for making the world the playground for their hegemony are on. In the meantime NAM held its 8th summit conference. It raised voice in favour of developing countries, for peace and development and against imperialist plunder. In different parts of the world, regional groupings have become active. Some countries have formed an organisation named Group-15 and through this they are opposing and resisting imperialist dictates and exploitation. Thus the contradiction between oppressed countries and imperialism is increasing.
Standing against war and in favour of and international order based on justice and equality, it is increasingly being demanded that the role of UN should be democratised and that the UN should pay serious attention to the interests and rights of developing and less-developed countries... When the cold war has ended and a single superpower has become hegemonist, the development of multipolar world will recede in proportion to the rise of its (the superpower’s) influence on the UN.
South Asia is not free from the impact of these world-wide contradictions, developments and changes. Despite all talks of disarmament and peace, the two big countries of this region, India and Pakistan have been continuing with arms race during the last five years. ... Despite adopting the Gujral Doctrine as a new concept for forging good relations with neighbours, India in practice has not shun its old mentality. ... In the SAARC and various other bilateral relations India’s role has been self-centred. Instead of strengthening the SAARC and making it effective, India has been utilising it to aggrandise its own strength and influence.
On the whole, the contradictions among imperialist countries, between labour and capital within imperialist countries, contradiction between imperialism and socialism, and contradiction between imperialism and oppressed countries remain the fundamental contradictions. Of these, the contradiction between imperialism and the oppressed nations is the principal one in the present situation.
Contradictions among capitalist countries are also increasing. These contradictions in spheres of trade, investment, utilisation of natural resources and technology, education and culture get manifested in the form of intensive competition, conflicts and collisions. Its concrete political manifestation reveals itself in multipolarisation of the world and development and activisation of several regional groups. Socialist China is assuming a powerful independent role in the world politics. Russia’s own peculiar role and preference is also coming up. France, a powerful European country, has been revealing its different role and outlook from time to time. All this leads to multi-polarisation of the world. Different continents on the basis of geographical territory and various groupings and organisations of counties on the basis of political and economic reasons are also contributing to the formation of a multi-polar world.
On the other hand popular movements for democracy, freedom, human rights and peace are continuing. A new process of reorganisation of the international communist movement has begun. This points to a favourable potential in the 21st century.
Party Discipline
The first incident of indiscipline and violation of whip took place in election of a member to the Rashtriya Sabha held on 12 Asharh, 2050 (June 1993). In this election, violating the party CC decision, a rebel candidate filed his nomination. Members of the Standing Committee (SC) and the CC were also involved in this. Later, the rebel candidate who had disregarded appeals made by the party chairman and the general secretary, was expelled from the party membership. Disciplinary measures were taken against 10 MPs who had sided with the rebel candidate, and the 10 people who realised their mistakes and self-criticised openly, were issued warning, which they clarified. It was for this reason that one member of SC was removed from the post of deputy leader in the Pratinidhi Sabha. This action by the CC was reviewed and ratified by the National Council in its first session.
The most serious incident of violation of discipline took place on 4 Ashwin, 2053 (September 1996) in connection to ratification of Mahakali Integrated Development Treaty in the joint session of the parliament. Disregarding the CC decision to vote in favour of ratification of the treaty as well as the parliamentary whip, an alternate CC member voted against it, and 26 MPs including a SC member abstained from voting. This dealt a serious blow to the prestige of our party, its organisational system and its unity. Later these comrades felt sorry over it and expressed self-criticism.
The party has taken action against persons violating party discipline and touring foreign countries, filing nomination as a rebel candidate opposing party decision, indulging in immoral and corrupt practices, etc., depending on the extent of their misdeeds. To those who commit mistakes out of ignorance and make self-criticism honestly admitting their mistakes and drawbacks, the party has given an opportunity to advance.
Political Situation
In the Pratinidhi Sabha, our party is the largest and the Nepali Congress is the second largest. Because of the composition of the Pratinidhi Sabha, the representation of the Nepal Communist Party (Mashal), NMKP and independents, though very small, becomes significant in the arithmetic of government formation. NCP(UML) secured victories in more than 50% seats in the local bodies elections and more than two-thirds in the municipalities and district development councils. This is a result of the influence of the 9-month stay of CPN(UML) in the office.
(Translated from Nepalese by BB Pandey)
The capitalist euphoria pronouncing collapse of socialism following the disintegration of Soviet Union and the frenzied efforts to completely crush the communist party in the Soviet Union could not sustain for long. In the last five years communist parties in the erstwhile Soviet Union and east European countries have reorganised themselves and secured encouraging successes. In Russia itself, the communist party has established itself as the largest party in the parliament. Important efforts have been made in regard to communist party establishing its superiority through general elections and entering into competition with bourgeois parties.
Resigning from other responsibilities of the party if one does not get one’s desired post, expressing dissatisfaction in public, voicing one’s dissent about a matter already decided within the party, commenting irresponsibly in public about party leaders — these tendencies have come to the fore. Among the party members working in certain mass organisations and trade organisations, trend of disregarding party decision has also come up.
While discussing the present situation, it is imperative to deal with the coalition government in which our party was involved. The coalition government led by RPP leader Lokendra Bahadur Chand was a government formed to serve the immediate tactical purpose of CPN(UML) and to create a favourable situation in the balance of political forces. The formation of this government was a necessity of the situation. Though the prime minister was a leader of RPP, it was our party which took the main role in the formation of the coalition government. This coalition government of CPN(UML), RPP and Sadbhavana Party was formed under a commonly agreed 20-point programme. The CPN(UML) had thought about utilising the government so as not to let the balance of forces go against it, conduct the elections to local bodies in a clean, impartial, free and fair manner, and divert the maximum amount of money to pro-people programmes in the interests of the nation and the people. But the leadership of this government as well as some leading ministries were not in our hands, so these efforts could not succeed. Thus, difficulties arose because of the complexity of working together between leaders of the two parties of mutually opposite class character and political culture and the consequent lack of united endeavour in the functioning of the government.