IRAQI COMMUNIST PARTY

Baghdad - Iraq

E-mail: iraq@iraqcp.org Internet: www.iraqcp.org 

10-1-2005

PRESS RELEASE

The Iraqi Communist Party Holds its 6^th Conference

The Iraqi Communist Party has recently held its 6^th Conference (Party Assembly) in the capital Baghdad over two days (23-24 Dec. 2004). This event is of exceptional significance, being the first of its kind to be held in the capital since the Party re-emerged as a major political force after decades of repression under dictatorship and fascist terror. The Conference, normally held two years after the party National Congress, has the task of scrutinising party policy, assessing the performance of its leading bodies as well as party organisations, and making recommendations to develop policies and work in all fields. Held in accordance with inner-party norms, the Conference re-affirmed the commitment to the policy of Democracy and Renewal adopted by the party at its 5^th National Congress held in 1993 in Iraqi Kurdistan.

The fact that the Conference was held in Baghdad, despite the difficult current situation and security challenges, testifies to the determination of Iraqi Communists to continue their struggle in defence of Iraqi people’s rights and freedoms, and to achieve the objectives of eliminating the legacy of both dictatorship and occupation, laying the foundations for democracy and regaining full national sovereignty and independence, to build a unified democratic and federal Iraq.

The Conference also represents a unique event in the political life of the country, at a crucial juncture in the on-going political process and before the forthcoming national elections for a transitional assembly to draft a permanent constitution. The party leader, comrade Hamid Majid Mousa, had announced the coalition List “Ittihad Al-Shaab” (People’s Unity), which includes Communists, democrats and patriotic figures, at a press conference in Baghdad on 15^th December 2004. This full electoral List, with 275 candidates including 91 women, represents the full social, ethnic and religious spectrum of Iraqi society. The List was publicly launched at mass meeting held in the People’s Stadium in Baghdad on 17^th Dec. 2004.

The 6^th Conference discussed the party election campaign, and provided a platform for a lively debate about ways and means of promoting the programme of “Ittihad Al-Shaab”, winning support for its objectives among the popular masses, and extending party influence in Iraqi society.

Attached below is a translation of the Communiqué issued about the Party’s 6^th Conference.

Communiqué

The Iraqi Communist Party Holds its 6^th Conference (Party Assembly)

The Iraqi Communist party held its 6^th Conference (Party Assembly) in Baghdad during the period 23-24 December 2004. More than 250 party leaders, cadres and members attended the Conference, representing the bodies of “Kurdistan Party - Iraq” and party organisations in all the provinces of the country, as well as central bodies of the party. The delegates also represented various sections of the Iraqi people: workers, peasants, intellectuals, government employees, students, employers and others, including men and women of all age groups.

The Conference was given the name of the Party’s martyr, comrade Sa’doun (Wadhah Abdul Amir), member of the Political Bureau of Iraqi CP, who had been assassinated in the previous month at the hands of remnants of Saddam’s intelligence apparatus.

The delegates began their deliberations with a minute in silence in respect for the memory of comrade Sa’doun and the other 15 party martyrs who had fallen with the bullets of agents of dictatorship and extremist reactionary forces since the collapse of Saddam’s despotic regime.

In an atmosphere characterised with a high sense of responsibility, thorough dialogue and democracy, the delegates discussed the current difficult conditions in the country and the fundamental issues faced by the Party and the patriotic political forces in general. The Conference dealt with the tasks that the Party and its organisations need to carry out, in order to achieve the people’s aspirations in regaining full independence and sovereignty, establishing a federal democratic regime in a unified Iraq, and launching the process of reconstruction and development.

All these issues and various aspects of the current situation were discussed on the basis of four reports presented to the Conference: Political, Economic, Organisational and Election Campaign reports.

The contributions made during the Conference stressed the need for completing the stages of the political process and fulfilling the tasks of the transitional phase, through ensuring security and stability, eradicating the onerous legacy of the ousted regime, and tackling the urgent issues related to the lives and well-being of citizens. The latter is connected to providing security and stability and combating terrorism, acts of sabotage and corruption, as well as a speedy solution to the crisis of fuel and electricity. In addition, discussions focussed on problems concerning wages, reinstating employees expelled for political reasons, unemployment, food rations, the public, municipal and other services, the need for economic revival, and efforts to hold general elections on the specified date.

The Conference called upon the Party organisations, friends and supporters to participate actively in the election process, work to ensure their fairness, and mobilize forces to ensure the broadest participation by the electorate, to get to the ballot boxes, and to cast their votes for “Ittihad Al-Shaab” (People’s Unity) Election List.

The “Conference of Martyr Sa’doun” concluded its work by endorsing the four reports, including the Political Report, after being enriched with contributions and amendments during thorough discussions over the course of the two days.

27 December 2004

IRAQI COMMUNIST PARTY

Baghdad - Iraq

E-mail: iraq@iraqcp Internet: www.iraqcp.org

5 January 2005

Iraqi CP Mourns Trade Unionist Leader

Assassinated by Anti-People Terrorists

The Political Bureau of the Iraqi Communist Party issued a statement today, 5^th January 2005, mourning a prominent trade unionist leader and party member, comrade Hadi Saleh (Abu Furat), who was assassinated in Baghdad in a cowardly act by anti-people terrorist elements and supporters of the ousted dictatorial regime.

Comrade Saleh, a member of the executive bureau of the Iraqi Federation of Trade Unions and head of its international department, had been a well-known activist over several decades in the clandestine Workers Democratic Trade Union Movement. He returned to Iraq from exile immediately after the collapse of Saddam's dictatoship in April 2003 and worked tirelessly to rebuild the party and expand its influence. He was also actively involved in defending workers' rights and establishing the Iraqi Federation of Trade Unions, and contributed to developing its ties with regional and international trade union organisations.

The statement of the party’s Political Bureau said: "While strongly condemning and denouncing these cowardly acts, which expose the bankruptcy of their perpetrators and their destructive terrorist scheme, we stress that this crime, and others, will not go unpunished. The perpetrators of these crimes will receive just punishment for these vile crimes".

The statement concluded by conveying warmest condolences to comrade Saleh's wife and family, as well as his comrades and friends.

 

TUC  condemns the murder of top Iraqi trade unionist

The TUC today (Wednesday) condemned the murder of Hadi Salih, the
international secretary of the Iraqi Federation of Trade Unions (IFTU),
who was shot last night by assassins who broke into his Baghdad home.

TUC General Secretary Brendan Barber said: "Hadi was a very brave man,
who with no thoughts for his own personal safety, returned home as soon
as Saddam was gone to try to make Iraq a better place to live and work.

"Like all trade unionists, Hadi believed in peaceful solutions to
working people's problems and his commitment to rebuilding the trade
union movement as part of a democratic Iraq has cost him and his family
dear. Sadly, Iraq has now joined the list of countries where trade
unionists live under the almost daily threat of violence and death, and
Iraqi working people have lost someone who worked tirelessly on their
behalf."

Hadi Salih had, on many occasions, condemned those who seek to use
violence and terror in Iraqi. Only last month he had been at the ICFTU
World Congress in Japan where he had met Brendan Barber and other senior
British trade unionists.

Hadi Salih was 56, and was a former printing worker, who helped found
the IFTU last May. Under Saddam Hussein's regime, Hadi Salih was
sentenced to death in 1969 for his labour activism. But after five years
in jail, he escaped the gallows when his sentence was commuted. After
fleeing Iraq, Hadi became a political refugee in Sweden but rushed back
to Baghdad shortly after the war began in a bid to rekindle the labour
movement.
 

 

Editorial of “Tareeq Al-Shaab” - Central Organ of the Iraqi Communist Party

Weekly edition: 10 July 2004

No: 51 Year: 69

Fighting Unemployment is

Urgent Patriotic Task

  

 Next to the security issue, the fight against unemployment is the second most urgent task facing the Iraqi interim government. This phenomenon is certainly not new. It started to grow under the dictatorship, during the late 1980s, because of its reckless policies and devastating wars, as well as the international sanctions. However, the problem intensified due to the wrong measures taken by the occupation authority after the collapse of the regime. Official statistics indicate that it has grown from 5% of the economically active population in 1987 to 17% in 1997, reaching 28% in 2003 according to a recent estimation. However, if the proportion of “partial” or “disguised” unemployment were to be added, the real rate would be 50%, or even higher.

 

Experts maintain that unemployment, especially the disguised form, is more widespread among youth and women. Women are usually busy at home and often do not look for jobs. Thus the real scope of unemployment is not reflected enough in official statistics. A phenomenon related to unemployment during the last two decades is the spread of child employment, especially in unskilled jobs prevalent in the informal sector.

 

Economically speaking, unemployment constitutes a waste of labour power, which creates value and social wealth. A social scourge that undermines the fabric of community, causes suffering and alienation for the individual by marginalizing his role and status in society as well as inflicting poverty and misery on the family. In the absence of a solution, prolonged unemployment turns into a breeding ground for various sorts of anti-democratic trends and ideologies. The unemployed would develop into a source of social tension, an easy target for recruitment in extremist groups and prone to anti-social behaviour. All this show how closely related unemployment and security issues are. In order to tackle the complicated problem of unemployment we need to know its most important two causes in our country.

 

The first is of exceptional nature in that it resulted from the devastation and havoc suffered by the production and service sectors as well as the infrastructure and the collapse of the organizational framework of the economy. This has been caused by the three wars and the international sanctions. The situation has deteriorated since the collapse of the hated dictatorship because of the lawlessness and chaos that ensued as well as the disbanding of the army, the police and security forces, and a number of ministries.

 

The other aspect of the problem is structural as reflected in the deformed nature of the Iraqi economy because of its nearly complete dependence on the revenue of crude oil exports, thus leading to the diminishing role played by the processing industry and agriculture as well as the backwardness of the services sector. These sectors have not grown enough to create jobs to absorb the increasing young work force generated by our fast growing population.

 

Sabotage and terror have undoubtedly contributed to prolonging and deepening the problem by hindering the resumption of normal economic life as well as the reconstruction projects.

 

Taking all these factors into consideration, it is imperative to raise the task of fighting unemployment on the  priority list of the government, on the one hand, and of the patriotic parties and forces as well as the trade unions and professional organizations, on the other hand.

 

The problem, is apparently multi-sided and has a vital impact on the life of our people. It is also closely related to the task of restoring peace and stability to the country .Thus, it is important to launch various initiatives and expand the scope of consultations. The purpose is to seek immediate and long-term solutions for this crisis which affects millions of citizens and leaves vital national resources idle. It is possible to launch a national debate among political, economic and social forces and organizations as well as those involved in production and the government in order to formulate a national program to combat unemployment. The exceptional nature and enormous size of the problem require such initiatives, alongside political and economic immediate and effective arrangements and measures to ease it.

 

Even under the current abnormal conditions in our country, some people are under the illusion that the mechanism of free market, by itself, can provide solutions to this huge problem. It is also wrong to lay its burden on the public sector and the government policies. However, a number of urgent plans and measures need to be taken by the government at present, such as:

 

•  Rehabilitating and re-launching industrial, agricultural and service projects of the state sector,

 

•  Speeding up a proper procedure for contracts and projects of re-construction, with a condition that highest possible proportion of Iraqis should be employed,

 

•  Removing any obstacle against implementing earlier decisions to re-employ those fired by the previous regime on political grounds,

 

•  Launching programs for immediate and long-term employment of young people and women. In this respect, a useful initiative is the current program for employing students during their summer holiday, provided that regulations are in place to avoid waste and abuse of the resources allocated for this purpose, as well as making use of their vitality in productive jobs that generate proper returns, rather than in simple unskilled service jobs using crude means.

 

The current efforts of the government to rebuild the army, the police force and other security organs will absorb a significant number of those who lost their jobs when these bodies were disbanded. Training courses need to be launched for other recruits, and for those who cannot find jobs in order to facilitate their return to work in new fields. 

 

The private sector is expected to generate increasing job opportunities when security is restored, the state institutions resume normal work and donor countries release the promised funds. In order to play its full role, this sector requires a proper framework of legislation and organization as well as measures against financial and administrative corruption. Furthermore, it needs monetary stability as well as the activation and modernization of the banking sector on sound principles. All this will help to stimulate this sector and encourage it to invest in various fields. This applies also to foreign investment, provided that a number of regulations and safeguards are in place to protect national interests.

 

In combination, all these measures will help only to reduce unemployment.  Those who remain unemployed must receive due care to ease their suffering through financial support and setting up job centres to help them find work. In the final analysis, the solution of this problem depends upon resuming socio-economic development and implementing a program for economic, social and political reform.

Editorial of “Tareeq Al-Shaab” - Central Organ of the Iraqi Communist Party

Weekly edition: 30 June 2004

No: 49 Year: 69

Transfer of power is a landmark towards regaining and consolidating  full sovereignty

On 28^th June, the occupation of our country legally come to an end and Iraq regained its national sovereignty in accordance with the agreement of 15^th November 2003 and UNSCR 1546 which endorsed the timetable for the handover of power and completion of the stages of the political process, leading eventually to establishing an elected Iraqi government based on a permanent constitution.

It is of significance that the interim government begins undertaking its tasks and exercising its full authority on the date marking the 84^th anniversary of the Great Patriotic Revolution of 1920 which embodied an early awareness of the need and necessity of achieving freedom and building an independent state, free of foreign occupation and presence and all direct and indirect forms of interference.

With the transfer of sovereignty to the Iraqi state and the handover of power to the interim national government, the “Coalition Provisional Authority” was dissolved and the role of the civil administrator came to an end, thus ending the burdensome duality of power that represented an extension of the unique historic ironical moment embodied by the 9^th April 2003. On that day, Iraq both fell under occupation and got rid the most barbaric dictatorship known in modern times. The collapse of the oppressive regime was received with enormous joy by the overwhelming majority of the Iraqi people. They saw in it a triumph for their will and a culmination of their struggle against the ousted regime and their enormous sacrifices over 35 years. It was seen as an end to the rule of repression, terror, mass graves, the policy of political, national, religious and sectarian discrimination, internal and external wars, and all the consequent catastrophes and tragedies which covered various spheres of life. Iraqis were, at the same time, looking forward to a speedy end to the occupation and an urgent restoration of sovereignty.

The transfer of power represents a principal milestone along the path of completing the political process and achieving its objective: completing the transitional process, building elected constitutional and democratic institutions, and regaining and consolidating full sovereignty. Achieving this depends on the positions and policies of the interim government, and its ability to respond to the aspirations of our people, tackling urgent tasks that concern citizens and providing essential prerequisites for a free, dignified and secure life.

Moving forward towards regaining and consolidating full and real sovereignty, and strengthening an independent national decision-making process, requires the interim national government to ensure that ministries exercise their full authority without direct or indirect interference and pressure, and control over the army, police, security forces and other institutions. Control must also be exercised over the country’s resources and the Development Fund for Iraq, determining the direction of expenditure in accordance with the priorities and needs of our country and people, and ensuring recovery in all sectors of the national economy. The heavy legacy of dictatorship must be eliminated, ensuring just treatment for its victims, facilitating a return to their jobs and compensating them for the damages and injustice they have suffered.

While this event inspires a sense of relief and hope among the broadest masses of our people, it also stirs up the hatred of the forces of oppression and terrorism which are trying to abort the political process and undermine its promising prospects through a series of brutal criminal acts which have resulted in the deaths of hundreds of innocent civilians. These sinister forces try to justify their destructive policy by claiming to “resist” the continued foreign military presence in the country, while its has become clear that their acts of terror only lead to the death of innocent people and prolonging the presence of these forces.

Creating the prerequisites for ending the foreign military presence is one of the principal tasks that our people’s patriotic forces and parties unanimously call for fulfilling. It should be a principal focus for the work of the Iraqi interim government. It remains therefore important and essential that all necessary requirements for improving the performance of army, police and security forces are provided, ensuring that they are properly equipped to undertake their national tasks with high competence. This will enable them to defeat the forces of darkness, evil, sabotage and terrorism, and foil their heinous schemes and attempts to destabilize the situation and obstruct the implementation of the timetable of the political process.

We are confident that our people, and their government and patriotic forces, are capable of defeating anyone who wants to harm Iraq and Iraqis. This depends a lot on the successes and achievements we accumulate on various levels, and on marching confidently along the path of improving the performance of state institutions, ridding them of bureaucratic manifestations and corruption, releasing the potential of people, building democratic institutions, fulfilling the tasks of the transitional period, and complying with the declared timetable and commitments stipulated in the Transitional Administration Law and its Annex.

The momentous tasks which that government and people are facing puts great responsibility on the shoulders of Iraqi patriotic parties and forces, especially the ones that have struggled and made enormous sacrifices along the path of salvation from dictatorship. Their performance, ability to enhance their cooperation and co-ordination, expanding ties with the masses of people, upholding and defending patriotic principles, and putting the interest of people and homeland first, will be decisive for ensuring a successful outcome to the political process and achieving its desired objective: a unified, democratic federal Iraq.

Let us make this event; handover of power, a further incentive to defeat the forces of sabotage and terror, and to prepare the prerequisites for full restoration of sovereignty, continuing the reconstruction, building a state based on justice, law and respect of human rights.

Editorial of “Tareeq Al-Shaab” - Central Organ of the Iraqi Communist Party

 Weekly edition: 19 June 2004

No: 47 Year: 69

Defeating Terror is an Urgent Patriotic Task

The country has recently witnessed an escalation of violence, acts of sabotage and terror, including car bombings that have killed scores of innocent Iraqis and foreigners. There has also been an increase in kidnappings and hostage taking, inflicting humiliation on victims and treating them inhumanely, in addition to beheading and mutilation that violate traditional norms and values as well as laws and religious codes.

 Such murders and intentional harm have exposed the true nature and designs of those who carry them out and those who stand behind them.  Were they to achieve their sinister aims, Iraqis would obviously face a grim future under a despotic regime similar to that of Saddam Hussein and his clique. However, the fig leaf that the terrorists sought to take cover behind has fallen. All attempts to give their crimes the semblance of credible resistance have failed.

The “butchering of Iraqis” will only further complicate the situation, and will not bring the people closer to achieving their aims in regaining full sovereignty and building a secure peaceful country. It will only provide additional pretext for those, inside and outside the country, who want to keep Iraq bleeding in order to achieve their sinister self-interested designs.

 The message, deeds and aims of the terrorists are obvious to any objective observer of the bloody Iraqi scene, regardless of the glorifying and drum beating in some of the media and satellite TV networks which relish nothing more than scenes of destruction, bloodletting, scorched corpses and scattered human limbs. To the murderers, it makes no difference whether the victim is a child, a woman, an aged person, a civil servant going to work, an intellectual, or a politician Etc. Their desperate crimes are intended to inflict more suffering and destabilise the situation.

However heavy the human and material losses they have inflicted, and painful the harm they have caused through disruption of public services, the march of our people proceeds, albeit painfully, with optimism towards their desired goal: regaining full sovereignty and advancing the political process to its final objective of building a democratic Iraq.

 The Iraqi people and our patriotic parties, who struggled and sacrificed for many years to overthrow the dictatorship, as well as the interim government, have to work hard to prevent the opponents of change and democracy, and the forces of darkness and tyranny, from realising their aims: hindering the political process and aborting the transfer of power, restoration of sovereignty, and the implementation of UNSCR 1546 and the Transitional Administrative Law.

 For this purpose, it is imperative to tackle the difficulties exploited by the enemies of our people, especially the delay in transferring the responsibility for handling security to the Iraqis. Thus sovereign institutions, such as the national army, police force, intelligence, civil defence force and other national bodies should be formed and provided with all the resources necessary to carry out their tasks.

 As pointed out time and again, we stress the need for a comprehensive approach to the security issue. It is too complicated to be tackled solely by military means. There is urgent need for further measures and steps in all fields, including economic, political, media and mass work, and tackling unemployment and providing essential public services.

 In the current conditions, it is imperative for political parties and the people to take the initiative in order to foil the schemes of terrorists and saboteurs. Regardless of different opinions and views, it is patriotic duty and our country’s fate that dictate the need for cooperation and coordination of efforts to defeat terror and crime. These are two grave dangers that obstruct achieving the aims of the transitional period, ending foreign occupation in all forms, eliminating the legacy of the dictatorial regime and advancing on the path of reconstruction, development, and building a unified federal democratic Iraq.

Weekly edition: 12 June 2004

No: 46 Year: 69

 UN Security Council Resolution 1546

Strengthens Resolve to Regain Full Sovereignty

Following weeks of lengthy negotiations and the introduction of four amendments on the initial US-UK draft, the UN Security Council adopted a new resolution (UNSCR 1546) on June 8^th; a week after the interim Iraqi government had been formed. This resolution consolidated the steps taken on the path to end occupation and regain full sovereignty, and also gave a boost to the current political process in the country by endorsing the formation of the interim government that will assume full responsibility and power on June 30^th.

Significantly, the resolution welcomed the commitment by the interim Iraqi government to work for building a unified democratic pluralistic federal Iraq, ensuring full respect for political freedoms and human rights. The resolution also emphasised the right of the Iraqi people to freely decide their political future, exercise full power and control their financial and natural resources.

In an obvious shortcoming, the resolution failed to specifically refer to the Transitional Administrative Law of the Iraqi State. However, it endorsed the timetable proposed for the peaceful political transfer of power and emphasised the holding of free direct democratic general elections on 31^st December 2004, or not later than 31^st January 2005, for an transitional national assembly that will draft a permanent constitution paving the way for the formation of an elected constitutional government by 31^st December 2005.

The resolution dealt with the security issue and the status of the multinational forces. While welcoming the efforts to build the Iraqi armed forces and the role they would play, enabling them ultimately to assume full responsibility, subject completely to the relevant Iraqi ministers, it renewed the mandate given to the multinational forces in accordance with UNSCR 1511. This mandate is to be reviewed when the Iraqi government so requests, or 12 months after the adoption of the resolution. But it will be terminated, in any case, by the end of the political process, or before that at the request of the Iraqi government.

The relationship between the Iraqi government and the multinational forces was determined according to the letters of the Iraqi Prime Minister and the US Secretary of State which were issued as appendix to the resolution.

Furthermore, the resolution granted the Iraqis full control over the arrangements pertaining to the deposit of revenues of exporting oil, products of oil and natural gas, whereby the “International Advisory and Monitoring Board” is to continue to monitor the work of the Iraqi Development Fund after including a representative of the Iraqi government as a member with voting power. The Iraqi government will also play the main role in the coordination of international aid to Iraq.

Unlike the two previous resolutions 1483 and 1511, the present resolution gave the UN a bigger and fundamental role in the current political process. This role will continue until the election process is completed.

The Iraqi side was present in the deliberations at the Security Council during the preparation of the resolution, through the delegation of Iraqi foreign ministry. However, had there been a better chance for consultation and coordination, and sufficient time, there would have certainly been an extensive Iraqi consideration of the draft resolution based on the will of the Iraqi people and their patriotic forces to fully end the occupation, in all its manifestations, and regaining sovereignty as envisaged by the Transitional Administrative Law and the statement issued by the Iraqi Governing Council on May 25^th about the concept of sovereignty.

A careful scrutiny of the resolution would show that the Iraqi government has become responsible for several things, with the implementation depending on its attitude and the policies it draws up. This includes matters such as the role of the multinational forces and the time limit of their presence, and the attitude towards the International Board supervising the Iraqi Development Fund, as well as the UN role as subsequently requested by the Iraqi government. On the other hand, several of the afore-mentioned points will depend on the success of the current political process and its culmination with achieving a permanent constitution and forming an elected government on its basis. Thus, a lot depends on the work of the government, its performance, and the extent to which the policies it draws up coincide with the aspirations and will of our people. This also requires exercising oversight by the masses and their organisations, and exerting efforts to ensure that.

The content of the resolution offers much promise for the future of Iraq, as well as support for the political process and the formation of the Iraqi government. However, it is still below our aspiration for more transparency and clarity in some of its clauses, especially regarding the role of multinational forces in relation to the issue of security in the broader comprehensive sense, as well as the need from now for a concrete government role in the administration of the Iraqi Development Fund and to determine the directions of expenditure in accordance with our people’s priorities and needs.

We have to say that what matters here is not only a generally good resolution, but also the effort to implement it and the commitment of all sides to abide by its content. This will depend to a great degree on the performance of the Iraqi government and its endeavour to be a worthy representative of the Iraqis, reflecting their present aspirations and wishes, and preparing the conditions for achieving the timetable of the political process.

We have to stress the role of the masses, their organisations and the patriotic parties in helping to provide these conditions and ensuring the success of the political process. To realize this will ensure the future Iraq we want, the free independent and peaceful Iraq, the unified democratic federal Iraq.

Issue 45

Momentous Tasks Ahead

of the New Iraqi Government

Over the recent period there has been a flurry of discussions and dialogues essentially involving the Iraqi Governing Council (GC), the Coalition Provisional Authority (CPA) and Mr. Lakhdar Ibrahimi, the Special Adviser of the UN Secretary-General. These discussions had acquired special significance owing to their taking place under exceedingly complex and sensitive circumstances, and during a transitory period towards building the requirements and conditions for establishing democracy - a system of governance, methodology and practice.

In addition to the fact that the new government institutions are expected to undertake a momentous task of regaining power on 30 June and leading the country over the next seven months, there lies ahead a wide spectrum of commitments and duties in accordance with the Transitional Administration Law of the Iraqi State and the addendum annexed to it. First amongst which is the responsibility to create the suitable political, administrative and security atmosphere for holding direct general elections in the country, and preparing the necessary prerequisites including a census, electoral law, legislations for the press and political parties, etc. It is also incumbent upon them to make preparations for drafting the country's constitution and organizing a referendum on it, followed by the first elections for an Iraqi National Assembly and forming a government.

The people of Iraq , after years of persistence, suffering and struggle, are looking forward to 30 June as a historic turning point in their lives, and an important signal for ending the occupation and regaining national sovereignty.

It is absolutely clear that the 30 June will not be a magical day to end the legacy and effects of years of dictatorship and its wars, strangulating sanctions, compounded by difficulties and hardship resulting from the occupation. However, it is crucial to reassure Iraqi citizens about the correctness of the path being pursued and the determination to address a wide range of social and economic problems and difficulties they are facing every day.

The first test for the newly formed government will be for it to represent, in stance and practice, not a particular ethnicity, religious group, sect or political party, but all the Iraqis and their aspirations. It is further essential that it re-examines the previous period which began on 9 April, 2003 and seriously attend to weaknesses, deficiencies and improper practices.

This obviously stems from the fact that Iraq is home to all Iraqis, who are equal in rights and duties before the law. And all Iraqis have an equal opportunity to compete for positions in any state institution, each according to her/his ability and level of competency. It becomes important that transparency, and plenty of it, is applied in order to gain the people's confidence and mobilize them to defend their own rights. This will help to develop people’s initiatives so that they can play an active role in achieving patriotic tasks, namely, ending the occupation, regaining full sovereignty, rebuilding the country's economy and establishing a democratic Iraq .

People’s priorities are far too obvious for all to see, notwithstanding the differing mannerisms in which these concerns are expressed: security and stability; tackling the problems of rampant unemployment by creating job opportunities; ensuring basic services, especially electricity - now that summer is approaching.

Indeed, seven months may be too short, and there may be inadequate funds to remedy all difficulties and problems as well as accommodate all plans for reconstruction. But it is - once again – essential that every Iraqi citizen feels that real changes have occurred and correct steps been taken, first and foremost to safeguard her/his interests and satisfy basic needs.

The new government, as it assumes its duties, has big commitments to fulfill in order to ensure safe and secure passage over the next seven months. All citizens look forward to palpable achievements and successes that will place them on the road to building a new free, democratic and prosperous Iraq .

Iraqi Communist Party, Contribution to the International Meeting of Communist and Workers' Parties, Athens,  8-10 October 2004

Dear Comrades,

I convey to you the warmest greetings of the Iraqi Communist Party and its best wishes for the success of this International Meeting of Communist and Workers Parties. Allow me also to join other speakers in thanking the comrades of the fraternal Communist Party of Greece for hosting this important meeting and for their consistent efforts to sustain this event as a forum for open and free exchange of views about the urgent issues and challenges facing Communists all over the world. We believe that seminars and workshop,