Sunday, 1 January 2012
Thursday, 22 December 2011
Iraqi Communist Party .. Statement on criminal bombings in Baghdad on Thursday 22 Dec. 2011
Statement of the Political Bureau of the Iraqi Communist Party:
More innocent victims and bloodshed are the price
of policies of ruling political blocs and their infighting
22 December 2011Our people have once again paid the price for the crimes of terrorists who exploit the unprincipled power grab of political leaders and their infighting. Baghdad and its inhabitants have been terrorized by a series of cowardly bombings that have targeted several areas of the capital today, killing and wounding hundreds of innocent people, in addition to considerable material damage inflicted on the houses of citizens, their shops and other property. These criminal acts, carried out by the remnants of the former regime and their allies, remnants of Al Qaeda and other religious extremists - the enemies of the people, freedom and democracy - have been timed to coincide with the precarious conditions experienced by our country as a result of the grave crisis which the political and security situation has descended to during the past few days, and the intensifying conflict between the leaders of the Iraqiya bloc and the Rule of Law bloc, which has taken a dangerous new turn.
Iraqi patriotic forces, along with millions of our people and also the Iraqi Communist Party, have for years been warning the leaders of the ruling political blocs to stop playing with fire, disregarding the fate of the homeland and the blood of its citizens, and sacrificing them on the altar of their narrow differences and selfishness and their endless fight over the spoils of power.
The Iraqi Communist Party, while condemning the crime that has taken place today 22nd December, and calling for firm punishment of the criminal perpetrators, holds the leaders of the competing political blocs responsible for the deterioration and bloody breaches of security that have occurred this morning in the streets and areas of Baghdad. It also appeals to everyone to heed the voice of reason and rise to the challenge of the grave events that no longer only threaten the fate of the political process, but also threaten the fate of the Iraqi people and homeland and their future. We call upon the masses of our people and the conscious forces to close their ranks and support the armed and security forces in tracking down the terrorist criminals.
These serious developments stress the importance of responding to the sincere calls, and the urgent need, for an all-inclusive National Conference that encompasses all the forces and parties involved in the political process. The convening of this conference should be expedited in order to put an end to the continuous deterioration experienced by the country, and to ensure that it is led to safety through the national program of action that is binding on all.
The danger threatening the country is escalating and there is no time to waste.
We express our sympathy to the families of the victims and our sincere wishes for the recovery of the wounded and injured.
Communiqué of the Meeting of the Central Committee of the Iraqi Communist Party
Communiqué of the Meeting of the Central Committee of the Iraqi Communist Party
| Thursday, December 22 2011 22:06 |
 The Central Committee of the Iraqi Communist Party held its regular meeting on Friday 9th December 2011. The meeting opened with a minute of silence in memory of comrades and friends who have passed away, and the martyrs of the people who were victims of cowardly acts of terrorism. The Central Committee considered at the meeting the work of the party since its previous meeting on 20th May 2011. In this respect, there was a lively discussion about the performance of the party leadership, specialized committees and party organizations, as well as the outcome of the deliberations of the Advisory Council. The meeting praised achievements in various fields of party work, and adopted a set of guidelines and actions aimed at further development and enhancement of the performance of the party, and building mass party organizations. It emphasized the need for paying attention to protest and mass movements and popular demands, and defending people's rights and their just causes. The meeting considered the developments of the political situation in the country, and the multi-faceted crisis, especially the growing crisis of governance, and the atmosphere of mistrust between the political blocs and their fight for power and influence, which is inflicting heavy damage on Iraq’s present and future. This coincides with the imminent full withdrawal of U.S. forces from our country, which we regard a major victory for the will of our people and their aspiration to regain full sovereignty, including ridding the country from the shackles of Chapter VII. These developments also coincide with the continued struggle of the masses in many Arab countries for democratic change and social justice, and to preserve what has been achieved in some of them and avert the dangers that threaten it. The Central Committee meeting discussed the ways out of the current crisis in our country, and considered the various initiatives taken by the party and its call for genuine, realistic, peaceful and constitutional solutions to the crisis. This includes the need for all the forces participating in the political process, both those represented in the legislative and executive powers and those not represented, to undertake a serious review of the process, with the aim of reforming it, especially by eliminating the sectarian and ethnic power-sharing system, on which that process was set up, and putting it on sound track which leads to building a civil democratic and federal state, based on the rule of law and institutions that guarantee constitutional rights and freedoms; the state of the citizen and citizenship. The meeting stressed the need to launch a comprehensive national dialogue, leading to a national conference that lays the foundation to address the current issues, especially those directly affecting the lives of the people, and to chart a joint approach to tackle the crisis of the political system by adopting a joint National Action Charter which everybody should adhere to and implement. The meeting also stressed the need to act as soon as possible to prepare for the forthcoming parliamentary elections, whether normal or early elections which we consider to be one of the ways out of the political crisis. This requires the enactment of a modern democratic law for political parties, and an election law which eliminates the undemocratic amendments that were previously introduced and also to consider Iraq as a single electoral district. In addition, a new council for the Electoral Commission needs to be set up and a public census must be conducted. The Central Committee meeting considered the important event of the founding conference of the Democrat Current that was held in October 2011. It underlined the need to continue the efforts to mobilize the forces of this Current, expand its ranks and relations, promote its work and diversify its activities, and open up to the democratic forces and personalities that share its values and objectives as well as its quest for a civil democratic state and achieving social justice. The meeting called upon the authorities, both legislative and executive, to address the people's issues and their problems of living, to improve the services, address all the outstanding issues, speed up the legislation of laws, activate the supervisory role of the Parliament, improve the performance of state institutions, meet the needs of citizens, combat financial and administrative corruption, and create the atmosphere and prerequisites for the judicial and legislative bodies to perform their required role in an impartial and professional manner, away from the political disputes between the ruling blocs. The meeting considered at the preparations by the party, and its members and organizations, for holding its 9th National Congress. It endorsed the report on election of Congress delegates and adopted additional measures to complete these preparations. The meeting also discussed the draft political report to be submitted to the Congress, proposing amendments and additions, and then approved it as a draft for public discussion. It also approved two draft documents of the party program and inner- party rules. Many other measures and decisions were taken relating to the holding of the Congress and providing the prerequisites for its success. In conclusion, the Central Committee called upon the party organizations and comrades to raise the level of work and achievement, and to culminate all this by holding the 9th National Congress of the party, to be another milestone along the path to enhance the role of the party in political life, and its effective contribution to shaping the course of development of our country, at present and in future. |
Wednesday, 21 September 2011
Friday, 16 September 2011
Photos .. mass demonstration by democratic forces in Baghdad on 9th Sept. 2011
Photos of mass demonstration by democratic forces in Baghdad (Liberation Square) on Friday 9th Sept. 2011
http://www.media.iraqicp.com/images/stories/foto/albqaa/albqaa.html
Sunday, 28 August 2011
Iraqi CP: Serious Shortcomings in the Draft Law on Political Parties
Editorial of “Tareeq Al-Shaab”, the daily newspaper of the Iraqi Communist Party
18th August 2011
Serious Shortcomings in the Draft Law on Political Parties
Require Radical Remedy
Require Radical Remedy
The Iraqi parliament, in its session on 1st August 2011, ended the first reading of the draft law on political parties submitted by the government. The draft law, which has been long-awaited, is regarded as a step in the right direction, as well as stipulating a number of proper democratic principles for setting up and financing parties, and including an emphasis on the adoption of the principle of citizenship as the basis for party formation. But the draft law has triggered a lot of controversy on many of its clauses which have contained serious shortcomings. These shortcomings are considered by some politicians and legal experts as a grave violation of the Constitution in the area of freedoms, amounting to a restriction of these freedoms, and an effort to legitimize blatant interference by the executive branch in the affairs of party life and violating their independence.
The parties are a means to develop political life and organize society, and to raise awareness and enable citizens to participate actively in the management of their affairs. Parties reflect the interests and visions of social classes and strata, and, given the multiplicity and diversity of these interests, parties and pluralism are an objective condition of society, and their political expressions should be respected, maintained and organized democratically. There can be no democracy and no parliamentary democracy without political parties, as they constitute one of the pillars of the democratic system.
The absence of a law for political parties in the past, especially since the adoption of the Constitution in 2005, has been a major shortcoming in the political process and the electoral system. The very serious consequences of this were clearly demonstrated in parliamentary elections, the last of which took place in March 2010 and were marred by grave violations and abuses, which included the absence of controls for the financing of parties. The absence of this law, in addition to other well-known factors, has contributed to emptying the electoral process of its democratic content and imposing the hegemony of the ruling forces, and thus consolidating the hated sectarian and ethnic power-sharing as the basis for the ruling system and deepening its crisis, for which our people have suffered and paid dearly.
Obviously, then, our people have been looking forward to the enactment of a law of parties that would be democratic and not restrictive of freedoms. They have looked forward to a law that would be sober, balanced and neutral, rather than being biased in favor of the ruling forces, safeguarding the interests of the ruling groups and guaranteeing the perpetuation of their hegemony, tightening their grip on political power against the will of the people.
The law that people look forward to should also be a catalyst for the formation of parties, instead of creating obstacles and hindering their proper role in ensuring the widest participation of citizens in political life and achieving the people’s legitimate aspirations. According to jurisprudence, the law should have the following features: it should ensure transparency, independence and freedom, justice and equality, with clarity, conciseness and simplicity.
So, do these features and standards exist in the draft law of parties that was approved by the government and submitted to the parliament?
The most serious issue in the draft law is in Article 2/III, and Article 19/II, which stipulate the formation of the so-called "Department of Political Parties", which belongs to the Ministry of Justice and is headed by an official with the position of director-general!
A quick look at the powers entrusted to this department of the Ministry of Justice reveals the extent of blatant interference that the government would practice in the affairs of political parties in the event the draft law is passed in its current form.
The setting up of such a "department" of the Ministry of Justice would enable the executive branch to interfere in party life and violate democratic rights and freedoms that are guaranteed by the Constitution. It would mean effectively making the government act as a “controller” over parties and their political activity.
Things do not end here. This "department" and its powers are part of a legislative-procedural system that violates the criteria we have mentioned above which are supposed to be present in any democratic law of parties. The "fingerprints" of the government are evident in the articles and clauses of this draft law, in the following fields:
- Specifying the Administrative Judiciary Court as the body that grants the license for founding parties. It is controlled by the executive power.
- Broad interference in the internal organization of parties and violation of their rights. Article 32/II constitutes a violation of the principles of freedom and independence. According to the formulations of the law, the rights of parties to decide their own internal systems are usurped by the executive branch. The articles of the draft law, in more than one place, allow the possibility of the executive power withholding the license of a party or suspending its activity.
- According to the draft law, principles in a party program that are determined to be identical to those of other parties, and cannot be distinguished from them, are considered a reason not to grant it a license (Article 8/II). In the absence of standards and grounds for such distinguishing, this text would be subject to contradictory interpretations.
- Suspending the activity of any party can be done through a report prepared and submitted by an employee in the "Department of Parties."
We must also draw attention to the excessively punitive nature of the draft law, as evident in the "Penal Provisions" in Chapter 10.
There are also vague and confusing formulations, and others that are open to interpretation, in the draft law.
Article 5/II, which stipulates that a party cannot be founded on the basis of "... sectarian, ethnic or nationalist intolerance," does not explain how this intolerance is interpreted and measured. This article also does not mention religious intolerance.
These concise comments on the draft law of political parties do not address all its shortcomings, but have sought to highlight the most important and most serious, those that constitute a grave violation of the freedoms and democratic rights guaranteed by the Constitution, in order that they are speedily dealt with in a radical manner to ensure the enactment of a democratic law of parties.
In order to achieve this goal, we reaffirm the need for all the forces of our people - and for researchers, specialists and civil society organizations that are concerned about upholding the rights and freedoms of citizens, without discrimination, and establishing the foundations of a modern democratic civil state - to expedite the submission of their views and comments on the draft law of parties, and for the parliament to deal seriously with what is submitted to it, whether by political parties and blocs represented in parliament or from outside the parliament.
Thursday, 25 August 2011
Candlelight Vigil in Baghdad on 3rd anniversary of assassination of Kamel Shiaa
Candlelight Vigil in Baghdad on 3rd anniversary
of assassination of Kamel Shiaa
Two hundred people joined a candlelight vigil held in Kahramana square in central Baghdad, on Tuesday evening 23rd August 2011, to honor the memory of the prominent Iraqi intellectual and communist Kamel Shiaa, who was cowardly assassinated in Baghdad on 23rd August 2008.
Participants in the vigil, organized by the February Youth Movement, carried posters of Kamel Shiaa and banners calling upon the authorities to declare the results of their investigation into the crime, reveal the identity of the perpetrators and those who planned it, and to bring them to justice.
The event was attended by many intellectuals, representatives of civil society organizations and media people.
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