BELGIAN COMMUNISTS have responded to the challenges facing their deeply divided country with a new programme that was discussed at the plenary session of their 8th Party Congress in Brussels last weekend.
The programme revolves around the slogan “A principled Party; a flexible Party; the Party of the Working People” and proposes tactical, strategic and organisational changes to the rules and stance of the Workers’ Party of Belgium (PTB) to reach out to working people disillusioned with social-democracy and the sectarian politics of Flanders and Walloonia, which have brought the country to the brink of collapse.
Twenty-two international communist observers attended the Congress including comrades from Cuba, Democratic Korea and Vietnam and the NCP was represented by general secretary Andy Brooks.
Four hundred and fifty seven delegates representing some 3,000 members took part in the plenary session on Sunday. Discussions revolved around the main document which seeks to shed vestiges of dogmatism, ultra-leftism and sectarianism that the leadership argued had been a barrier to growth in recent years.
The new rule changes would make it easier to recruit supporters and members for a mass Marxist party.
The final session of Congress will be held in November.
