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Communist Party of Malta (Maltese: Partit Komunista Malti) is a communist party in Malta. PKM was founded in 1969 at a secret congress in the town of Gwardamangia, following the departure from the Malta Labour Party of a group of left-wing militants that had been active in the struggle for national independence.[1] Anthony Vassallo was the founding general secretary of the party.[1] The party first contested the national general elections of 1987 when it obtained 0.1% of first preference votes and no parliamentary seats.[2] Since then it has not stood for any other election whether at a European, national or local level.[3]
Communist Party of Malta Partit Komunista Malti | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Abbreviation | PKM |
| General Secretary | Victor Degiovanni |
| Founder | Anthony Vassallo |
| Founded | 1969 |
| Split from | Malta Labour Party |
| Headquarters | 28/8 Vincenti Buildings, Triq Id-Dejqa, Valletta |
| Newspaper | Proletarjat (1977-1979) Żminijietna (1983-1989) |
| Youth wing | Young Communist League |
| Ideology | |
| Political position | Far-left |
| European affiliation | INITIATIVE |
| International affiliation | IMCWP |
| Colors | Red |
| Slogan | Workers of the world, unite! |
| Website | |
| communistpartymalta | |
The current general secretary of the party is Victor Degiovanni, who took over the post from Anthony Vassallo in 2004.[4]
Creation
editIn the 1920s secret communist cells existed; however they have always been small in number. After the 1933 sedition trials[5] dockyard workers and intellectuals were imprisoned for the "crime" of possessing socialist literature. Progressive movements have faced large setbacks due to the sedition trials. Maltese communists militated either in the Partito Comunista Italiano (English: Italian Communist Party), in the Communist Party of Great Britain or worked undercover within the Malta Labour Party. Maltese Communists did not have their own party before the secret congress in the town of Gwardamangia in 1969.
Post-independence Activities
editAfter George Borg Olivier's administration was defeated the PKM officially went into the open. The PKM organised protests and meetings as well as commemorations to Maltese Working class figures in support of emancipation such as Manwel Dimech. According to the US intelligence department by 1970 PKM's membership was around 100[6] members. The PKM also takes part in international seminars. It has positive relations with the Workers Party of Korea and a Juche study group called The Juche Philosophy and Songun Policy Study Group.[7]
The party has collaborated with the left-wing non-governmental organisation (NGO) Moviment Graffitti, who used to hold meetings at the Communist Party headquarters in Valletta. In 2016, the two groups published a joint statement appealing for a reformation of the neutrality clause in the Constitution of Malta to ban warships from all countries from docking in Maltese ports.[8]
Political organisation in the Post-Soviet Era
editPKM participates in Maltese politics by campaigning in joint-solidarity with international issues and talk about local issues.
Electoral performance
edit| Election | Leader | Seats
contested |
Votes | % | Seats | Rank | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1987[9] | Anthony Vassallo | 0 / 69
|
119 | 0.1 | 0 / 69
|
4th | Extra-parliamentary |
References
edit- ^ a b International Communist Affairs (1983). Yearbook on international communist affairs: 1983. Stanford, California: Hoover Institute Press. p. 458. ISBN 9780817978617 – via Google books.
- ^ "Malta: Minor Parties". Archived from the original on 7 August 2007.
- ^ "-Political Parties: Acronyms, Names and Election Years". Archived from the original on 5 August 2007. Retrieved 7 August 2007.
- ^ "Maltese communist party makes a comeback". The Times of Malta. 15 March 2010.
- ^ "The sedition case and George Bernard Shaw". Times of Malta. Retrieved 13 August 2020.
- ^ United States Department of State Bureau of Intelligence and Research (1973). World Strength of the Communist Party Organizations – via Google Books.
- ^ "Juche Philosophy Study Group (Malta)". Archived from the original on 10 January 2023. Retrieved 8 February 2023.
- ^ "No to harbouring of Military Vessels – Communist Party & Moviment Graffitti". Gozo.News. 30 March 2016. Retrieved 1 May 2023.
- ^ Schiavone, Michael J. (1992). Elezzjonijiet f'Malta 1849 - 1992 - Storja, Fatti, Ċifri [Elections in Malta 1849 - 1992, History, Facts, Figures] (in Maltese) (1st ed.). Pietà, Malta: Pubblikazzjonijiet Indipendenza (Independence Publications). p. 437.
External links
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