Communist Party of Finland (1997)
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Communist Party of Finland
Name in Finnish Suomen kommunistinen puolue
Name in Swedish Finlands kommunistiska parti
Leader Yrj Hakanen
Founded 1985 (SKP organizations)
1997 (registered)
Headquarters Haapaniemenkatu 7 - 9 B
FIN-00530 HELSINKI
Political Ideology Communism,
Marxism
Political Position Radical left
European Affiliation European Left (observer)
European Parliament Group
International Affiliation World Communist Movement
Colours Red
Website
www.skp.fiSee also Finnish Politics
Finnish Parliament
Finnish Government
Finnish President
Political parties
Elections
Communist Party of Finland (Finnish: Suomen kommunistinen puolue, SKP) is a Finnish political party. It was founded in the mid-1980s as Communist Party of Finland (Unity) (Finnish: SKP (yhtenisyys), SKPy) by the former opposition of the old Communist Party of Finland (1918–1990). SKP is not currently represented in the Finnish parliament, but the party has local councillors in some municipalities, including the city councils of Helsinki and Tampere. SKP claims 3,000 members.
The party has been officially registered since 1997. In the 1980s, when the opposition and the organizations it controlled were expelled from the SKP led by Arvo Aalto, the SKPy, however, chose not to register since they considered themselves the real SKP and claimed Aalto had illegally stolen the party.Contents [hide]
1 History
1.1 The opposition inside SKP
1.2 The founding of SKPy
1.3 SKP and Soviet Union
1.4 KTP splits from SKPy
1.5 The founding of Left Alliance
1.6 Dispute over double membership
1.7 The “new” SKP
2 Organization
2.1 Deva – SKPy's electoral front
3 Elections results
3.1 Parliament elections
3.2 Local council elections
3.3 European Parliament elections
4 Chairmen
5 Vice Chairmen
6 External links
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History
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The opposition inside SKP
The internal conflict of Finnish communists began in the mid-1960s, when the party, led by the new chairman Aarne Saarinen, began to modernize the party line. A minority of the party cadre didn't accept this and they accused the SKP leadership of being revisionist. SKP didn't break up in the 1960s and the party was formally united until the mid-1980s. After the 20th party congress in 1984 things, however, changed as Arvo Aalto was elected chairman, after which the opposition didn't participate in (or was left out of) the SKP central committee. The opposition, which was also known as “taistoists”, called supporters of Aalto “axe liners”.
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The founding of SKPy
The central committee of the SKP expelled eight opposition district organizations from the party October 13, 1985. Also, 494 other basic organizations and 17 city or regional organizations were expelled June 13, 1986, which the expelled then dubbed “Black Friday”. The opposition considered the actions to be against the law. They took the conflict to courts and because of minor technicalities Helsingin Hovioikeus court overruled SKP's decision June 11, 1987. SKP then re-expelled these same organizations in its 21st party congress (June 12–14, 1987). However, a week before this happened, the newly founded SKP (Unity) held its own “21st” party congress. The ambiguities in the expelling process and the opposition's firm belief in its own cause gave it the justification it needed and they considered SKPy to be the real SKP. They claimed Aalto had illegally seized the party with “paper members”. SKPy was never taken to the official party register of Finland as the party considered that to have been voluntary resignation and admission of SKPy not being the real SKP.
April 26, 1986 a meeting of the representatives of SKP organizations was held in Tampere and those present chose a central committee. Leader of the new central committee was Taisto Sinisalo, former vice chairman of the SKP and the most well known figure of the opposition, who already had lead Committee of SKP Organizations found in November 1985. In SKPy's 21st party congress Sinisalo was re-elected. Yrj Hakanen and Marja-Liisa Lyttyjrvi became vice chairmen while former SKP chairman Jouko Kajanoja was elected party secretary. In his congress speech, Sinisalo told the suffix “unity” meant “strong intention to gather all forces of the SKP”. The congress, however, also was heading to future and building of a new party, or “rebuilding” as they thought it. Before the name SKPy was adopted the party was known in media as the unity or Tiedonantaja group.
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SKP and Soviet Union
SKPy was very committed to Soviet Union and the political line of its communist party (CPSU), which was going through great changes during Gorbachev's time. SKPy supported perestroika but criticized those who claimed to have been gorbachevist even before Gorbachev's time. SKPy claimed SKP to be anti-SU and tried to give Finnish people as positive a picture as possible of that country. When SKP split the monetary support from Soviet Union was halted and, for example, the very profitable publishing deals SKP had gone to SKPy. Gorbachev's CPSU however had relations with both parties.
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KTP splits from SKPy
In the late 1970s the opposition of SKP began to split as those supporting a more traditional version of Marxism-Leninism began to criticize opposition leaders. When it was decided that SKPy would not be registered as an official party, some communists protested and demanded registration. They thought SKPy was clinging to the unity slogan in a situation in which it no longer seemed realistic. In the 1987 party congress, these people were warned by the SKPy leadership but they chose to ignore the advice and oriented themselves toward founding a new party. For Peace and Socialism - Communist Workers Party (Rauhan ja sosialismin puolesta – Kommunistinen tyvenpuolue, KTP) was founded early in the year 1988. Founders of KTP felt to be securing the existence of a Marxist-Leninist party in Finland while criticizing SKPy for being revisionist and supporting Mikhail Gorbachev. The most famous figure in the new party was probably Markus Kainulainen, a longtime SKP district secretary of Uusimaa and a former MP.
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The founding of Left Alliance
Esko-Juhani Tennil, a member of the Parliament of Finland, was elected new chairman of SKPy October 22, 1989 when Kajanoja decided to resign while strongly criticizing his comrades. Tennil has later told he took the job to secure that the founding of a new united left party would not be sabotaged by his own party comrades many of which were quite critical of it. The Left Alliance (Vasemmistoliitto) was founded in spring 1990 and members of SKPy and its electoral front Deva also joined even though prejudices were very high on both sides at this point.
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Dispute over double membership
Many people in the Left Alliance didn't like SKPy members coming to the party. It was thus decided that SKPy members couldn't participate in the LA's electoral lists, even though they could be members. Because of this, Tennil also had to quit his job as party chairman when joining LA group in parliament. Yrj Hakanen was chosen Tennil's successor. The dispute over double membership, as it was called, led to many SKPy members leaving LA and relations between the two parties got even colder. On the other hand, many former SKPy members were actively participating in LA.
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The “new” SKP
In its 1993 party congress (August 28–29) SKPy oriented towards founding a new officially registered communist party and drafting of a new party program. A new party logo was also introduced to mark renewal. It was suggested that a congress to continue SKP's work should be held and that happened next year (November 26–27). In the congress the suffix “unity” was dropped from the name as SKPy now considered to consist of all those comrades who wanted to have an independent communist party. An athletic club was made the basis of new organization and renamed SKP. The decision split the party as some supporters would have preferred SKP to have a lesser role as “Marxist forum” of some kind. Leadership of Left Alliance was also not pleased with those plans. SKP would have wanted to stay inside LA but that wasn't possible and the parties split in spring 1994. SKP wasn't however “re-registered” until 1997. There was some confusion, as the new SKP didn't accept responsibility for debts of the old one, which had gone bankrupt.
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Organization
SKP has a nationwide organization consisting of 14 district organizations. The central committee has 41 members and the politbyro 10. The organ of SKP is Tiedonantaja, which was founded in the 1960s. Tiedonantaja was also the organ of Deva during 1986-1990. The editor-in-chief is Erkki Susi who has led the paper since 1980's. SKP also has some local papers.
As the SKPy considered itself to be the real SKP it also had the same organizational structure. It was based on Leninist principle of democratic centralism and the party rules of 1958 (modified in 1978).
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Deva – SKPy's electoral front
While SKPy was never officially registered, its supporters founded an electoral front Democratic Alternative (Demokraattinen vaihtoehto, Deva). Those MPs of Finnish People's Democratic League (Suomen kansan demokraattinen liitto, SKDL, a front organization dominated by SKP) who were against expulsions were expelled from SKDL and they found the parliament group of Deva. Deva was SKPy's SKDL and it was supposed to attract some democratic allies. The very small Socialist Workers Party (Sosialistinen tyvenpuolue, STP) didn't join Deva but it had members on the DEVA list. Young supporters of SKPy and Deva founded Revolutionary Youth League (Vallankumouksellinen nuorisoliitto, VKN) which was Deva's youth organization. SKDL's Socialist Student League (Sosialistinen opiskelijaliitto, SOL) also joined. Deva was led by actress Kristiina Halkola.
In 1987 parliamentary elections Deva got 4.3% of votes and four MPs. In 1988 presidential elections Deva candidate Jouko Kajanoja got under 2 per cent of the votes. Not even all members of SKPy supported Kajanoja who was the party chairman. Deva was closed down in 1990 after Left Alliance was founded and its members joined the new party.
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Elections results
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Parliament electionsYear MPs Votes Share of votes
1999 0 20 442 0,75%
2003 0 21 079 0,75%
2007 0 18 277 0,65%
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Local council electionsYear Councillors Votes Share of votes
2000 14 10 460 0,47%
2004 16 12 844 0,53%
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European Parliament electionsYear MEPs Votes Share of votes
1999 0 7 556 0,61%
2004 0 10 134 0,61%
2009 0 8 089 0,49%
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Chairmen
Taisto Sinisalo (1986–1988)
Jouko Kajanoja (1988–1989)
Esko-Juhani Tennil (1989–1990)
Yrj Hakanen (1990–)
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Vice Chairmen
Yrj Hakanen (1986–1990, 1st)
Marita Virtanen (1986–1987, 2nd)
Marja-Liisa Lyttyjrvi (1987–?, 2nd)
Riitta Tynj (1994–2004)
Kaija Kiessling (2004–2007)
Lena Huldn (2007–)
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For Peace and Socialism – Communist Workers' Party
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
(Redirected from For Peace and Socialism - Communist Workers Party)
For Peace and Socialism – Communist Workers' Party
Name in Finnish Rauhan ja Sosialismin Puolesta – Kommunistinen Tyvenpuolue
Name in Swedish Fr Fred och Socialism – Kommunistiska Arbetarpartiet
Leader Hannu Harju
Founded 1988
Headquarters Vantaa
Political Ideology Communism,
Marxism-Leninism
Political Position Far left
European Affiliation
European Parliament Group
International Affiliation
Colours Red
Website
www.ktpkom.fiSee also Finnish Politics
Finnish Parliament
Finnish Government
Finnish President
Political parties
Elections
For Peace and Socialism – Communist Workers' Party (KTP) is a political party in Finland. It was founded in 1988 to secure the existence of an independent Marxist-Leninist party. Since its founding, it has not gained seats in the parliament, and as a result, has been removed from the party register and re-registered twice.Contents [hide]
1 History
2 Politics
3 Organization
4 Electoral Performance
5 External links
[edit]
History
The Finnish Communist movement was split in the mid-1980s after years of infighting. Those expelled from the Communist Party of Finland (SKP) formed the Communist Party of Finland (Unity) (SKPy) which, however, itself soon split into different factions. KTP was founded in 1988 by one part of Finnish Communists who thought the SKPy had ventured too far from the principles of Marxism-Leninism. The final decision to found a new registered Communist party was made in the autumn 1987 seminar held at Matinkyl. The Marxist-Leninists behind the project felt themselves neglected since the Dipoli congress of the SKPy in 1986. Many of the KTP cadres came from the (expelled) Uusimaa district of the SKP which, since the late 1970s, had had its disputes with the opposition of the SKP led by the Tiedonantaja society.
In 2002 the KTP split over question of alliances possible for a Communist party. The Central Committee of the KTP rejected after voting (18–9) a proposed membership in a new (electoral) party, Forces for Change in Finland (MVS), in which clearly right-wing elements were also going to participate. MVS was supported especially by the Helsinki district organization of the KTP which then decided to enter the MVS without their comrades. KTP answered by expelling the above mentioned organization and many leading members of the party, including Heikki Mnnikk (the party secretary), Reijo Katajaranta (the editor-in-chief of the KTP organ) and Pekka Tiainen (the former presidential candidate in 1994), had to go. The Communists expelled then found their own organization, which was at first called plainly Communists, but later changed to League of Communists (or Communist League). The KTP has avoided contacts to their ex-members.
The KTP got some unexpected nationwide, and even international, publicity ahead the local elections in 2004 when the Turku and Raisio branches of the party made an electoral alliance with the far-right racist[citation needed] Finnish People's Blue-whites (SKS).[citation needed] The party leadership reacted strongly and condemned the manoeuvres. The alliances were, however, already signed and the KTP candidates stood in the two west coast cities with no success, although the KTP didn't advertise their rebel candidates. The man behind the alliances, Esko Luukkonen, was discharged from all party responsibilities, and he (and the KTP Turku district organization) later joined the League of Communists.
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Politics
The founders of the KTP were former supporters of the SKP opposition and as such came from the brezhnevist tradition of Marxism-Leninism. The critic of the late Soviet Union has been, however, included in the party ideology from the beginning. In 1998, for example, the KTP announced that the estimations made on the nature of the era, during the 1970s and the 1980s, were no longer realistic or correct. Yet the Marxism-Leninism of the KTP is far from Eurocommunism. The party leaders may quote Stalin and traditional Leninist rhetoric is required.
The existence of an independent Communist party, which is not buried in any unprincipled coalition, has always been one of the central political issues in the KTP. Markus Kainulainen, probably the best known politician in the KTP, was one of those who, already in 1969, in the then SKP, was in favor of a new party unlike the majority of the party opposition. In the 1980s, the KTP used to criticise the SKPy for not officially registering the party.
The KTP is strictly against the European Union, the Euro currency and Finland's participation in these capitalist formations. The party has consistently boycotted the elections of European Parliament.
The KTP wholeheartedly supports the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK) and its current leadership. The party has published writings of Kim Jong-Il and many members of the KTP are actively participating in The Society for the Study of the Juche Idea.
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Organization
Every year, the KTP holds its party congresses in which the official delegates choose the members of the important Central Committee. Little change usually happens and Hannu Harju has led the party since the 1997 congress. He was preceded by Timo Lahdenmki.
The KTP has been a small party all its life and it currently has some 200 members. The candidates of the KTP in the parliamentary elections have failed to get the attention of voters and the party has managed to gather only a few thousand votes. The KTP has some local strongholds, like the city of Kemi in northern Finland where Pirkko Ezewuzie is the lone KTP councillor. The party, with its own lists, has also participated in the elections of some trade unions and cooperatives.
The KTP has international contacts even though the party is not a member of any international organization. The Russian Communist Workers' Party – Revolutionary Party of Communists has warm relations with the KTP as well as the Nordic Communist Party of Sweden (SKP), Communist Party in Denmark (KPiD) and Communist Party of Norway (NKP).
Tykansan Sanomat (TKS), which appears fifteen times a year, is the organ of the KTP. The current editor-in-chief of TKS is Hannu Tuominen. In local (Helsinki area) Lhiradio radio station the KTP has a weekly program called Tyven puolituntinen.
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Electoral PerformanceParliamentary elections Year Elected Votes Share
1991 0 6 201 0,22%
1995 0 4 784 0,17%
1999 0 3 455 0,13%
2003 0 2 908 0,10%
2007 0 2 007 0,07%
Local elections Year Elected Votes Share
1992 1 4 828 0,18%
1996 3 4 483 0,19%
2000 2 2 314 0,10%
2004 1 1 248 0,05%
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League of Communists (Finland)
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
League of Communists (or Communist League, in Finnish Kommunistien Liitto) is a Finnish Marxist-Leninist political organization. The League of Communists was founded in 14.9.2002 by the Communists who were expelled from the For Peace and Socialism - Communist Workers Party (KTP). The organization was at first known as, plainly, Communists (Kommunistit) but the name was changed to its current form during the registration process.
The dispute in the KTP arose as part of its Central Committee wished the party would join a new electoral alliance party (Forces for Change in Finland [MVS]) in which right-wing organizations were also participating. The majority led by chairman Hannu Harju did not approve of this and the Central Committee voted (18-9) against the initiative. The minority, including the Helsinki district organization, the main force behind the project, chose not to respect the decision, and it was expelled. The expelled Helsinki district later participated in the founding of the MVS. Some notable persons among the expelled were Heikki Mnnikk (the party secretary), Reijo Katajaranta (the editor-in-chief of the KTP organ) and Pekka Tiainen (the 1994 presidential candidate). In 2005, the (former) Turku district organization of the KTP joined the League of Communists.
The disagreements between the comrades in the League of Communists and the KTP are few. Both parties adhere to traditional orthodox Marxism-Leninism and support, for example, the Democratic People's Republic of Korea as an anti-imperialist bastion. The KTP has, however, chosen not to cooperate with their former comrades who they regard as revisionist traitors. The League of Communists has had to find their allies elsewhere. The MVS was no success and after the general elections of 2003 the league has collaborated with several organizations, like the Communist Party of Finland (SKP) on whose list the League of Communists candidates stood in the elections to European Parliament in 2004. The only elected local councillor of the league, Antti Siika-Aho, stood (in 2004) as a Left Alliance candidate.
As the new organization was set in motion, a newspaper, called Kansan ni, was also founded. The bimonthly paper, editor-in-chief of which is Reijo Katajaranta, looks very similar to KTP's Tykansan Sanomat. Kansan ni is also published by two other organizations controlled by members of the League of Communists. These are the People's Front Against European Union (EUVKr) and Work Against War and Fascism (SFT), the latter of which was founded after World War II by former Communist resistance fighters.
Since its beginning the League of Communists has been led by Kalevi Wahrman whose board includes only men. The organization acts like a political party although it is not officially registered as one, an option which, however, has not been excluded. The league desires to build a united Communist party on principled Marxist-Leninist basis, which in practise means, according to their own dogmatic interpretation of it.
