Constitution of the MLG

Constitution of the Marxist-Leninist Group

Preamble:

The Marxist-Leninist Group (MLG) is a socialist organisation, whose central aim is the overthrow of capitalism and the building of a classless society on a worldwide basis. It aims to establish a workers’ republic of Australia, however this goal is subordinate to the progress of the class struggle of the international proletariat. The central task to enable the realisation of these aims is the construction of a revolutionary workers’ party based on Marxist-Leninism.

The MLG operates on the basis of democratic centralism, the organisational form pioneered by the Bolshevik party of Lenin before, during and after the October Revolution of 1917. Amongst other things, democratic centralism means that members have the right to internally discuss all issues in relation to the work of the organisation, the right to put forward proposals, and to have them voted on. It also means that the decisions arrived at by the organisation by majority vote should be carried out by all members to the best of their ability. 

The MLG is an organisation centred on political action, and is therefore not a discussion or debating club. Discussion and debate takes place in order to facilitate action. This does not undermine the necessity for discussion and debate in order to arrive at a political position, or to come to a decision. We are confident that workers will understand the need for these and other similar organisational measures.

Article 1. Name

The name of the organisation shall be the Marxist-Leninist Group (MLG).

Article 2. Aims

(a)  The aim of the MLG is the abolition of the capitalist order on a worldwide basis, and the building of a classless, socialist society.

(b)  This will require the establishment of a workers’ republic, or workers’ state, in Australia. However, this aim is subordinate to the overall goal of world socialism.

(c)  A successful workers revolution, which includes the seizure of state power, requires the formation of a Marxist vanguard party, predominantly composed of workers. The MLG aims to assist in the task of creating such a party.

Article 3. Membership

(a)  Any person who is resident in Australia, or is staying for a period of time, which agrees with the constitution, and is willing to work towards its aims, shall be eligible for membership of the organisation.

(b) Each applicant for membership of the organisation shall undergo a period of provisional membership. Provisional membership will continue up to a maximum of 12 months, during which time other members can assess the suitability of the applicant for full membership, based on their activity for the organisation, and the development of their political understanding.

(c)  Provisional members will have the rights and obligations of full members. Provisional members have full speaking rights during all meetings. However, provisional members do not have the right to move motions or to vote in meetings.

Article 4. Rights and Obligations

(a)  All members have the right to take part in discussions, to move motions, and to vote on proposals. 

(b) Members have the right to make comradely criticisms of the political decisions of the organisation, or of the actions of a particular member or members, in relation to the political tasks of the organisation. Where necessary, this should be done in the form of suggesting an alternative.

(c)  Members have the right to suggest a different course of action, or a different political orientation for the organisation.

(d) Members have the right to form political groupings or factions. However, the faction must be declared (i.e. secret factions are not allowed), and it must have a platform. The amount of time and resources devoted to factional political discussion shall be decided by the party as a whole.

(e)  Members have the obligation to be loyal to the organisation and its aims.

(f)   Members have the obligation to place all their political activity under the direction of the organisation, and to take part in the activity of the organisation to the best of their ability.

(g)  Members have the obligation to pay their dues.

 

(h) In general, the MLG does not accept dual membership. That is, membership of another political organisation as well as the MLG. An exception may be made in such cases as, for example, membership of an international pro-working class political organisation.

Article 4. Rules of Procedure

(a)  All decisions are to be made by majority vote.

(b) Votes are to be taken after an appropriate discussion has taken place, where all members have been given the opportunity to express their opinions on the proposal.

(c)  Votes are binding on all members, and members shall carry out the organisation’s decision to the best of their ability.

(d) All leaders and leadership bodies shall be accountable to the membership as a whole. They shall report to the membership all significant activities, plus other activities at the request of members.

(e)  A member shall be notified of a possible violation of the Constitution in the first instance, in writing.

(f)   If the membership finds a member guilty of having violated the constitution, the membership may administer one of the following:

1. Warning against repetition of the breach

2. Removal from an elected position

3. Suspension of voting rights and/or withdrawal of the right to attend meetings

4. Expulsion from the organisation

(g) A member has the right to appeal any disciplinary action taken against them, providing the appeal is received in writing within 21 days.

(h) The membership will meet and decide on the appeal within 28 days.

(i) The following standing orders shall apply to a meeting of members:

1. The meeting shall elect a chairperson and minute taker.

2. The chairperson shall read out the proposed agenda, and ask for any proposed amendments or additions to the agenda. If there are none, the agenda will be put to a vote. Amendments and additions will be discussed and voted on. Time limits for agenda items and reports may be applied. 

3. In general, a report to the meeting should include subsequent motions to adopt. This does not apply to educational or information only reports.

(4) Motions may be moved by any member, and do not require a seconder. The chairperson shall call for discussion on the motion, unless it is a case of a procedural motion to move straight to a vote, or discussion has already taken place during the agenda item.

(5) No member shall address the meeting who has not been awarded the call by the chairperson. The chairperson may rule out of order a speaker or a motion which they consider to be not addressing the agenda item at the time. In such a case, a procedural motion may be raised from the floor to dissent in the chairperson’s ruling. If carried by the meeting, this shall override the chairperson’s ruling.

(6) Except where a meeting decides otherwise, a procedural motion should be addressed by two speakers, one for and one against. 

(7) An amendment to a motion may be submitted during the meeting. If the amendment is accepted by the mover, the amendment is not voted on, but incorporated into the motion. If the mover rejects the amendment, the amendment shall be voted on before a vote is taken on the motion. If the meeting adopts the amendment, it shall be incorporated into the motion to be voted on.

Article 5. Leaders and leadership council

(a)  All leaders and leadership councils shall be elected by the membership. The members have the right to recall any leader or leadership council at any time, by majority vote.

(b) Leaders and leadership councils may speak for, and make decisions on behalf of the organisation, in between meetings of members. However, leaders and leadership councils are always accountable to the members, who have the right to query any decision, any financial matter, and any document or publication of the organisation, and propose changes.

Prospectus of the MLG

PROSPECTUS OF THE MARXIST-LENINIST GROUP (MLG)

11.   The MLG is a revolutionary organisation which stands for the overthrow of capitalism on a world scale, and the establishment of socialism, the first step towards a classless society.

22.   The MLG is an organisation which calls for, and seeks to prepare for, the construction of a Marxist vanguard party in the context of the nation state of Australia. We oppose all other types of parties and organisations, especially those dominated by conservatism, reformism, liberalism, opportunism, class collaborationism, electoralism and parliamentarism. Only a Marxist vanguard party will be capable of confronting and overcoming the enormous task of leading the proletariat, at the head of all of the oppressed, towards and beyond the seizure of state power.

33.   The MLG is Marxist-Leninist in ideology. We seek to learn from the experience of Stalinism, Trotskyism and Maoism, while not embracing any as complete systems. We seek to learn from all historical attempts at building a Marxist vanguard party, but a pre-eminent position is accorded to the Bolshevik Party led by V.I. Lenin.

44.     The MLG recognises the proletariat, or the working class, as the only revolutionary class under capitalism. All political activity is geared towards safeguarding and advancing its core interests. While we attempt to win over some elements of other classes to the cause of socialism, at no stage can the socialist movement be politically subordinated to the interests of other intermediate classes such as the middle class and the petty bourgeoisie.

55.    The MLG seeks to assist in the accomplishment of the ultimate protection of workers – the construction of a workers republic, or workers state. The MLG therefore recognises and defends the existing workers’ states – the People’s Republic of China, the Socialist Republic of Vietnam, the Republic of Cuba, the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea and the Lao People’s Democratic Republic. Historically, the MLG recognises and defends previous workers states, including the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics, and the workers states of the former Eastern Bloc. The building of solidarity with existing workers’ states is primarily carried out with the aim of inspiring workers to establish an Australian workers republic.

66.   The MLG opposes imperialism in all its forms, whether this is political, diplomatic, economic, military or otherwise. The Australian state is an imperialist state in its own right, as well as remaining a part of US led imperialism. Imperialism and its wars must be opposed and struggled against, principally by utilising the power of the working class.

77.    The MLG supports Trade Unions as the basic organisation of defence of the working class. We stand for militant and political class struggle Unions. This struggle involves challenging the pro-capitalist leadership of Trade Unions, while standing with the rank and file members. 

88.   The MLG recognises that as long as private property exists, women’s liberation will not be achieved. Women’s liberation is an essential part of the struggle for socialism, as is the struggle against all discrimination against Lesbian, Gay Men, Bisexual, Transgender and Intersex people.

    9. The MLG recognises that the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people were the original inhabitants and custodians of Australia. The genocide and dispossession of the first people remains a monumental crime. The MLF supports all struggles of the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people for the recognition of sovereignty and elementary social justice.

 

.  10.  Capitalism has all but destroyed the environmental conditions necessary for human habitation on planet Earth. The MLG accepts that efforts to stem environmental desecration remain important, while recognising the political limitations of much of the environmental movement. To seriously address ecological destruction, socialism will first have to emerge victorious.

111.      Refugees and asylum seekers are especially persecuted by the Australian government, as a part of their strategy to divide workers against each other. The MLF stands for full citizenship rights for all those who have made it to Australian soil.

112.     The MLF seeks to build class struggle social movements. The interests of the working class must be foremost at all times. The politics of the movement must not be subordinated to, or accommodate, non-working class forces.

July 19 Counter-Rally Aganist "Reclaim Australia"

SHUT DOWN “RECLAIM AUSTRALIA” !  FOR A UNITED FRONT AGAINST FASCISM !

Above: Photo of the April 4 “Reclaim Australia” rally showing a supporter adorned with Nazi tattoos. Nazi groups are using the banner of “Reclaim Australia” to recruit to various fascist organisations.

 19-06-2015 – Almost to the day, 70 years has passed since the Soviet people sacrificed 27 million lives in an epic struggle which defeated Nazi led fascism, and handed the world relative peace for some decades. Yet in 2015, with capitalism once again entering a period of steep decline, fascism is rearing its ugly head, as if on cue. This time, there is no USSR, and workers of the world must defeat the hydra of Nazism by their own hands. Here at home, the nucleus of fascism is appearing under the guise of “Reclaim Australia”. If anyone has any doubts about what “Reclaim Australia” is really about, check the Nazi tattoos amongst the Australian flag waving ultra-nationalists on April 4 this year. Sure, it is dressed up in all kinds of garb about equality of rights, equal rights to all religions and so on. However, fascism always preys on the politically disenfranchised and misguided. So it was in Nazi Germany in the 1920s, so it is in Australia in 2015.

Fascism becomes the last option for the capitalist ruling class when their system enters a stage of deep crisis. For the Western capitalist economies, this period began with the 2008 “global” financial crisis, and has arguably worsened since then. Working people have borne the brunt of this collapsing system, a system they had no part in building. Thousands of job cuts, deepening cuts to social services, education, healthcare, public transport, deteriorating wages and working conditions, bullying, threats and harassment by managers at work, and a skyrocketing cost of living has become “normal”. Coupled with ever deepening corruption, mass unemployment and ever increasing wars overseas, the whole socio-economic system offers little hope for any kind of future for the middle-aged, let alone the youth. The shredding of any semblance of democratic rights and civil liberties for working people, harassment by police and security services on public transport and in public is a sure sign that the ruling class are prepared to put any measures in place to prevent workers and the oppressed rebelling against their vanishing standard of living. Yet it is also a sign that the ruling class fears workers combining in action.

While the hollowing out of first world living standards for workers represents one end of the capitalist economic crisis, the other end is occupied by unending wars of domination and occupation overseas, currently against countries in the Middle East and North Africa, where Islam is a predominant religion. These wars are the basis for the extreme Islamophobia whipped up by the very ruling classes which are waging these criminal bombardments. Currently there are around 1000 Australian and New Zealand troops in Iraq and Syria, allegedly to “fight ISIS”. The real aim is to overthrow the secular state of Syria, and increase the power of the US, Saudi Arabia and Israel in the region. An ISIS/Al Qaeda “victory” in Syria will no doubt end up no better than obliterated Libya, which was destroyed by NATO in 2011. The jihadists fighting to overthrow the popularly elected Syrian government certainly act with unequalled brutality. Yet they could not do this without the material arms and funding provided to them by the US, France, the UK, Saudi Arabia, Israel, Turkey, Qatar, Jordan and the United Arab Emirates – the US and its allies. There is documented evidence of US and UK warplanes air dropping supplies to ISIS/Al Qaeda/Al Nusra and other jihadists. The jihadists are also being treated, at no cost, in Israeli hospitals. There is reportedly daily contact between the Israeli Defence Forces and all of the jihadist groups operating in Syria. Far from attempting to stop ISIS, the Western proxy war, joined by the Australian Armed Forces, is actively working with and for, all of the mercenary barbarians operating in Iraq and Syria.

War and fascism are often strongly linked. If anyone has any doubts about the Australian ruling class and their capacity to lend support to fascism if they judge that their capital is in danger, look at the disastrous situation in Ukraine currently. On February 22 last year, a fascist coup, backed by NATO, overthrew the government of Ukraine. It proceeded to wage war against anti-fascist resistance fighters in the east of Ukraine. With the support of the US, the fascist Kiev coup regime slaughtered at least 6000 Ukrainians, bombing them in the streets of their home towns. Who has backed the fascist Kiev government internationally? None other than Tony Abbott and Bill Shorten, railing against “Russia”.  In reality, for all its faults, Russia is currently stemming the advance of NATO-led imperialism. 

Workers here thus have a dual task – to oppose the imperialist wars being waged by the US Empire backed by Canberra AND to stop the encroachments of a rising fascist movement here. The two tasks are linked, and both can be stopped by determined working class action. Stopping fascism is a matter of physical self-defence for workers. Big business, and indeed small business, have little to really fear about a fascist takeover. In fact, their businesses will probably turn over more profit, and it may alleviate the drastic recession afflicting all capitalist economies. Workers can only lose under fascism, however. Trade Unions, workers’ organisations, and all left parties and any worker suspected of supporting such organisations are likely to be targeted for elimination. Vicious racism will be raised to a fever pitch, placing men, women and children who are not “white” in immediate danger. Fascists openly rallying in public poses a clear and present danger for working people. It is for this reason that the aim of the anti-fascist counter-rallies must be  to shut down “Reclaim Australia”, and sweep the core fascist organisers and all of their supporters off the streets. This must be the aim of the counter-rally to the fascist provocation currently organised for July 19. 

There was debate amongst those organising to counter the first “Reclaim Australia” rallies on April 4 earlier this year. Some argued that what was needed was a rally against “Racism and Bigotry” because, they claimed, people would be turned off by a call to “smash fascism”. This argument contains both a strategic and a tactical error. The strategic error is a mistaken view that “racism and bigotry” stems from poor ideas, which can be countered by education, or perhaps even promoting ideas such as “multiculturalism”. While it is of course important to always counter racist and bigoted views, it must be recognised that the fascist movements that are now arising are a response to the breakdown and decay of the capitalist economic and political system. No amount of education will be able to overcome ideas which emerge from a capitalist system which must turn to extreme violence – even fascism, in an attempt to save itself. 

Real, material action is thus needed, by those most affected – the working class. The tactical error is a proposal to have the rallies only take such action which can be joined by those who are only prepared to voice their opinion, rather than stand in the front line of a barricade. This course, however, allows those who only oppose fascist ideas – predominantly political liberals, well-heeled lawyers, academics, etc – to set the agenda. Rather, setting the agenda should be workers who aim to defeat the entire economic and political project of fascism, for they have both the material interest and the power to do so. The Trade Unions should be at the forefront of this struggle, as workers organisations. However, an obstacle to mobilising the Unions are many of the conservative officials who are mainly concerned with their own well-paid positions. Therefore, the MLG calls for a united front against fascism, led by workers, which can then both pressure the Union bureaucrats and draw in the most pro-worker elements of the middle classes as well as other oppressed layers in one strong movement. There is not a moment to lose.

STOP WAR AND FASCISM! 

SHUT  DOWN “RECLAIM AUSTRALIA”!

MARXIST-LENINIST GROUP  e: mlgroup271@gmail.com ph: 0421 408 692 www.ML-Group.blogspot.com.au