conference notes
* Europe Tenth Congress of Portuguese PSR By Luis Branco
The Revolutionary Socialist Party (PSR), Portuguese section of the Fourth International, held its tenth national congress on the 1-3 November. Seventy delegates discussed and adopted, unanimously, political theses centred on the European question, namely the general critique and opposition against the Maastricht Treaty and project. The document included also an analysis of the first year of Portugal's Socialist Party government and defined the tasks for the PSR for the next two years. The thesis on organisation and plan of tasks was also carried unanimously.
### VOTA PSR
The PSR currently participates in the left coalition which governs Lisbon, Portugal's capital city, with three deputies in the municipal parliament. The Congress decided not to renew this agreement with the Socialist and Communist parties, given that the Socialist Party is now in government and that such a coalition would imply some compromise with and support to that orientation. Also, very concrete political conflicts now dominate the municipal agenda, such as policies of waste disposal by incineration, or the "Expo 98" project - a gigantesque investment in the Exposition which follows the immensely costly Seville bonanza, and which will lead to the collapse of the urban environment and the acceleration of property speculation. This theme was an important discussion of the conference, since it is a very important tactical question.
A decision to present alternative slates in municipal elections planned for December 1997 was supported by approximately 75% of the votes.
The PSR will now participate independently (or in alternative left coalitions) in these elections with the aim of highlighting
8 International Viewpoint question of the quality of life in the city (transport, environment, suburbs, drugs, security, etc), contrasting the party's radical and concrete alternatives with the weak proposals for continued management of the problems and capitulation or collaboration with the installed powers, as put forward by the main left and right-wing candidates
In the second part of the Congress, delegates (and the media) concentrated on the question of abortion. In the coming months, the Portuguese parliament will discuss a partial liberalisation of the country's extremely restrictive abortion legislation. The Congress approved a motion calling for free abortion on demand and against the idea of a national referendum on liberalisation of abortion law, as has already been proposed by the right.
In the closing session of the congress, one member of the party, a medical doctor, stated publicly that he had already performed abortions outside the narrow legal time limits. This sharpened the terms of the discussion, since he risks 3 years of jail. This declaration was the opening story on the main Sunday news bulletins of the country's
The incoming leadership of the party, elected at this the 10th Congress of the PSR, maintained the effort for the renewal of the leadership by integrating more younger comrades, and comrades from two new regions where the PSR is now active (Braga and Algarve). Comrades aged 24 or younger now represent more than one third of the leadership of the party and in some cases the entire leadership of local branches. * Twelfth Congress of French LCR by Jean Dupont
This congress took place after a period of struggle in which the militants of the Revolutionary Communist League (Ligue communiste revolutionaire - LCR) have been particularly active. Over the last few months. the party's activities have met with a much larger echo in public opinion than was for a long time the case. Apart from the press coverage of this Congress, another sign of the change was the large number of guests (about 50, compared to 150 delegates representing the members of the organisation).
The Congress approved the platform of the outgoing majority ("Position A") by 68%. Ten "Proposals for a political alternative" were approved, and it was resolved' to encourage a debate of "all the left" in the first months of 1997 "with the aim of impulsing a dynamic of discussion between left militants and militants in the social movement[s]. [We] will test the possibility of appeals in this sense, directed at political militants, trade unionists, members of associations, and non-party members. At the next parliamentary elections, on the basis of these proposals, the LCR will discuss with all components of the left... and propose common candidate lists with all those who share a logic which converges with these 10 points,
ROUGE
want to fight the right, and who refuse the logic of a republican front" against the extreme-right] National Front... The LCR will pursue this initiative on the local levels... even if the various national leaderships do not come to an agreement. And, in any case, the LCR will begin making preparations so as to be able to present about 250 candidates."
A special congress will be organised next year to discuss the possible change of the name of the organisation, and reforms of the organisational structure.
A new central committee (CC) of 60 members was elected, with proportional representation of each tendency at the Congress in the new leadership.* One third of CO members are first-timers, half of them younger comrades. * Notes 1. 29% of delegates were women (as are 30% of LCR members). The average age of delegates was 35.5 years, which is lower than at the previóus congress. 39% of delegates had joined the LCR since 1990 The average length of membership in the organisation was 13 years. 65% of nonstudent delegates were trade union members (FSU [education] 46%, CGT 33%, CFDT 11%, SUD-PTT 6%). 46% of delegates had a national or local responsibility in the LCR. 23% had been members of another political organisation before joining the LCR. 2. Position A 67.6%/92 votes, Position B (TUC tendency) 13.9%/19 votes, Position C (R! tendency) 18.3%/25 votes.) 3. 102 votes for, 26 against, 8 abstentions, 2 non-voting 4. In the preparation for the congress, each tendency had equal space to present its point of view in the LCR weekly newspaper
Rouge and in the members' newsletter. Each tendency received identical travel funds, and equal speaking time at each of the regional assemblies at which the congress was prepared.