MDJD 2022 - Note of CPP for debate

The CPP extends solidarity with the CPI (Maoist) and co-signees of its May 1, 2022 statement. We believe the statement presents a clear picture of the general contours of the international situation and issues timely calls on the working class around the world to lead the struggles against the capitalist system, imperialist oppression, fascism and all forms reaction.

The statement, however, contains some points, albeit secondary, that are incongruent with some views of the CPP. Considering that the statement is already in its final form and signed by other parties, we have chosen to forgo co-signing the statement at this time.

Best regards,

Marco L. Valbuena, Chief Information Officer

Communist Party of the Philippines

For purposes of discussion, the CPP would like to make the following observations with regard the joint statement:

-   The statement correctly points out how the US and NATO used Ukraine as "bait" to provoke Russia. However, despite this premise, it describes Russia's action as a "war of aggression," which denotes something unprovoked, and obscures the earlier fact of US/NATO aggression. Consistent with the analysis presented in the statement, we believe it is more accurate to describe Russia's action as "counter-aggression."

-   The statement did not sufficiently tackle continuing US/NATO intervention in Ukraine (especially the the \$3 billion US military aid and delivery of large amounts of artillery over the past few weeks, topped off by a \$33 billion "lend-lease" arrangement approved today by the US congress) which has prolonged the war and undermined Russia-Ukraine peace talks. Neither did the statement made mention of Ukrainian artillery shelling of the Klimovo town in the Bryansk region within Russia. The statement calls on workers and people to condemn the war and demand that Russia immediately withdraw its forces, but did not equally call for a stop to continuing US intervention and provocation, which may be construed as favoring US strategy of fortifying its military forces in Ukraine to fully encircle Russia.

-   The proposal to build an "International Proletarian Revolutionary Organization" is better dealt with first in formal bilateral or multilaterl party-to-party discussions with concrete proposals and plans, before declaring it in a statement for general circulation. The CPP believes it is possible to build an international organization of equal and independent communist parties after ample discussions and efforts to build an international forum by which to build MLM ideological, political and organizational unity. It must be clarified first that there ought to be a rule of consensus under the princicples of Marxism-Leninism-Maoism and proletarian internationalism rather than decision-making by majority vote and democratic centralism that are followed by individual communist parties and previously by the communist internationales before the rise of equal and independent parties after the dissolution of the Third Internationale in 1943. The rule of democratic centralism has not helped efforts to build an international proletarian center.