Encyclopedia of Anti-Revisionism On-Line

Communist Labor Party

The Road to Socialism

Documents
Third Party Congress, Communist Labor Party
November 1980


PARTY CONSTITUTION

Membership

Membership in the Party is open to any person in the USNA who is at least 18 years old, who implements the Party Program and Party Constitution, is a member of a basic Party organization and works actively in it, upholds democratic centralism and pays membership dues.

Relations Between Party Organizations

The basis of the Party is democratic centralism.

1. The Congress, the highest body of the Party, elects the Central Committee. The Central Committee organizes the Party and directs its work between Party Congresses.

2. Congresses will be called by the Central Committee when needed to decide the direction of the organization according to major developments in the class struggle.

3. Decisions of higher bodies are binding on lower bodies.

4. Leading bodies periodically make reports to the membership.

5. Lower Party organizations periodically make reports on their work to the next higher Party organization.

6. The Party acts by strict discipline and subordination of the minority to the majority.

7. Leading committees are elected.

8. All Party organizations have the authority and responsibility to implement the Party program.

9. Relations between the individual and the collective are guided by the process of collective decisions and individual responsibility.

Procedures

1. All applicants must give an explanation of their present ties and beliefs.

2. Acceptance is subject to approval by the next higher body. Upon acceptance the applicant must be assigned to a basic Party organization and have the constitution reviewed by a Party member.

3. In the case of a member withdrawing from the Party, the basic Party organization to which he belongs will decide the conditions for withdrawal. This will be reviewed by the next highest body.

4. When a Party member is cited in the form of charges for an infraction of any part of the Party constitution, the member is to be given a list of offenses. The Party organization to which the member is responsible in relation to the infraction will try the case. Whenever possible the comrade should attend in person.

5. Infractions of the constitution cited in charges may be disciplined by 1) censure, 2) public censure, 3) removal from committees, 4) assigned specific control tasks, or 5) expulsion from the Party, depending on the nature and severity of the infraction. Only the basic Party organization can expel a member.

6. Decisions on charges are reviewed by the next highest body. Such decisions can be appealed up to and including the Congress.

7. Criticism, the process by which collective evaluation of work is conducted, must be exercised through the Party organization responsible for the work being evaluated.

8. Every candidate to any elected office must be voted on separately and by secret ballot.

9. Every Party member has the right to object to a candidate and criticize a candidate.

10. All Party members must reserve their opinions or submit them through channels up to and including the Congress when they disagree with any Party decision which, in the meanwhile, they must carry out unconditionally.