Greek struggles inspire the resurrection of Malta Communist Party

From The Times of Malta:

Malta Communist Party being resurrected

Sunday, 14th March 2010 - The Malta Communist Party is being resurrected after having been in limbo since 1989. Its secretary, Victor Degiovanni, this afternoon issued a statement about the situation in Greece, drawing comparisons with Malta.

He said when contacted that the party never died, but it had been inactive. "We will slowly get going again," he said, but added that there were no immediate plans to stand in the next general election.

The party traces its origins back to 1969. It contested the 1987 general election, with poor results, and none of its candidates was elected. Mr De Degiovanni became secretary six years ago.

In its statement, the Communist Party said it fully supported the struggles of the working people of Greece against the onslaught launched by the Social Democratic Administration of PASOK, supported by the other capitalist parties the Liberal ND and the extreme right LAOS, which were imposing anti-social measures instigated by the big capitalist countries in the EU and International Monetary Fund.

“The measures announced by PASOK are a frontal attack at workers' livelihood and serve only the interests of the ruling class that greedily looks only at profits, and would trample on worker’s rights to ensure it,” the party said.

“The Working Class in Greece has reacted courageously and is fighting back under the guidance of PAME and KKE which are in the frontline defending the worker’s rights and standard of living of the workers and their families”.

The party said a similar situation had arisen in Malta under the present Centre Right Government whereby the workers were facing anti-social policies and the dismantling of worker’s rights.

It said the government had raised basic energy utilities to an exorbitant level with the excuse of higher international prices of oil and gas, while at the same time prices of energy in other EU countries has gone down. "The Maltese workers as the Greek and other workers elsewhere, are being made to pay for the failure of neo- liberal policies. Poverty in Malta is rearing its head again and around 2000 families had their electricity and water supply cut as they could not afford to pay the bills, while 17% of the population is at risk of falling below poverty line."

The party said it supported trade unions of all countries and the working class in their struggle to fight neo-liberal policies, privatisation of public services, the attack on the working conditions and the right for the collective bargaining.

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Photo: Protest March against austerity measures during the General Strike in Athens, Greece, 11th March 2010 / Aris Messinis AFP