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WEST GERMAN ELECTIONS

Kohl’s return will
Sharpen missile fight

By FILS DELISLE
Tribune Berlin Correspondent

BERLIN — ‘‘Despite the election vic-
tory of the right wing, the fact remains: in

S Country there is a significant demo-
cratic potential.’”’ That was the commen-

of the West German Communist
Party (DKP) on the federal parlia-
Mentary elections in the FRG, coupled

the warning that hard times and
hard struggles are inevitable in the com-
Ing period.

The re-election of Chancellor Helmut
Kohl and the reactionary CDU-CSU-
FDP* coalition was also seen as a
development that will complicate the
Problem of reducing nuclear armaments
in Europe.

How was it possible for the right wing
forces which call for the stationing of

‘It doesn’t matter what flag they fly’

SPD was elected, with greater unem-
ployment as a result.

The large monopolies and banks also
made enormous financial contributions
to the parties of the right wing coalition,
and the poison weapon of anti-commu-
nism was used massively against every
candidate who spoke out for peace and
the well-being of the people.

After 13 years of SPD coalition rule
which was brought to an end by the
switching of the FDP to the Christian
Union parties, what will happen now?
The prognosis of the DKP was as fol-
lows:

“The government parties will attempt
to misuse the election results for an even
sharper turn to the right. It is to be feared
that the new government will be more
than ready to implement President Rea-
gan’s wish to station new U.S. medium
range missiles (in the FRG), although the
overwhelming majority of those who
voted for the CSU, CDU and FDP did
not desire to give these parties a mandate
for such a policy. The right wing bloc will
continue its efforts to throw out the
democratic and social reforms which
have been achieved and to further re-
strict the possibilities for the workers’
and trade union movement, for all demo-
cratic and left forces, to carry on their
struggle.”

The DKP paid tribute to the Greens for
their platform of struggle against the
stationing of more nuclear missiles in the
FRG, and to the many candidates of the
SPD who also spoke out for peace and

BRITISH-FRENCH ARSENAL

The government parties will try to use the situation for an even sharper tu
warns the West German Communist Party. Photo: mass anti-Cruise demonstrations

\.

which marked the election campaign.

against bowing to Washington’s policy of
confrontation and its huge armaments
drive.

“They have earned our respect,”’ the
DKP said, emphasizing that these forces,
the trade unions, the communists and
other groups which are prepared to fight
for progress and peace represent a sub-
stantial democratic front that can defeat
the reactionary, aggressive plans for the
Helmut Kohl government.

The SPD leaders, unfortunately, had
during the elections declared that they
would do everything possible “‘to make
the stationing of new rockets unneces-
sary’’, yet on the other hand they had
also declared their continued support for
the NATO decision approving the new
nuclear missiles in the FRG and else-
where. That was a fatal contradiction,
the DKP declared.

Similar contradictions had also
weakened their stand on other questions
such as unemployment and social wel-
fare.

Ax

“‘On the losses of votes by the SPD,”’
the DKP pointed out, ‘‘We see a reflec-
tion once again of the experience that
half measures and lack of consistency in

politics do not pay, and in the end help.

only the right wing forces. Now, how-
ever, it is necessary for Social Demo-
cratic voters to press the SDP to make
the basis of its practical activity the posi-
tive electoral declarations with which the
SPD responded to the demands, wishes
and expectations of the voters.”’

The DKP itself received almost
100,000 votes. It has not yet succeeded in
electing representatives to the Bundes-
tag (parliament) under the restrictive
laws governing federal elections. It has,
however, elected party representatives
to numerous municipal and town coun-
cils in the country and helped point up
the real issues in the elections of the past
week.

*(CDU) Christian Democratic Union; (CSU)
Christian Social Union; (FDP) Free Democratic

Party; (SPD) German Socialist Party; (DKP)
German Communist Party.

arm

U.S. bases, nuclear
s out of Greece!

rn to the right,

ig More nuclear rockets in the FRG and
ie €stern Europe to win the election? The
ng gave a lucid reply in its analysis:
@| To begin with, the CDU-SCU-FDP re-
o §=«- Celved_ 55.7% of the votes. The Social
@ Democrats (SPD) received 38.2%, and
as Greens received 5.6% or a total of
g$ 43.8%. A vast body of voters thus op-
sé Posed Chancellor Kohl, | Franz-Josef
_ Strauss and the renegades of the FDP.
Of those who voted for the right wing
Coalition, the DKP said, many were
ed fooled by Kohl’s ‘‘social and nationalis-
of tic demagoguery’’, by his claim that we
j) --:SOUght ‘“‘peace with less weapons’, by
J ‘the blackmailing threats of the coalition
" and big business circles that employers
ey Would stop making investments if the
is
ity
nt
1s!
ad
ip
i The United States’ position
"al at the Geneva arms limitation
ch talks is that it will deploy its
at Rew family of Cruise and
5 Pershing-2 missiles in Western
of Europe if the USSR ‘‘does not
Cooperate’? in reaching an
he _, The USSR, under Reagan’s
ef Zero option’, is asked to re-
rt MOve its medium-range missile
a System from its own territory
a mM exchange for a U.S. agree-
ut ment to keep the Pershing-2,
‘| and Cruise out of Western
y! Europe.
_In simple terms, ‘‘zero op-
a ion’ would leave the USSR
18 _ Without a medium-range reply
i while facing the present com-
te bined NATO-British-French
ip arsenal aimed at its territory.
‘ It’s a frying pan or fire option.
el The U.S., in addition, re-
uf fuses to place on the Geneva
he 4genda the British and French
st nuclear arsenals, arguing they
are of ‘‘no consequence’.
ao Here is what the two states
is Ve: :
Ji BRITAIN:
he A fleet of four nuclear sub-
nb Marines each armed with 16
ps . Polaris missiles with a range of
8 4,500 kilometres. The 64 mis-
as Siles have three warheads each
With a 200 kilotonne punch.
spt Modernization plans will re-
be Place the Polaris with U.S.-
pe uild Trident-2 missiles, each
st

armed with 16 warheads hav-
ing a 7,000 kilometre range.
Each warhead will carry a
force five times the Hiroshima
bomb. On completion, the
British program will target 986
warheads from its submarine
fleet at the USSR (equivalent
of 4,880 ‘‘Hiroshimas ’).

Britain’s nuclear air arm
today consists of a 55-bomber
Vulcan fleet each carrying one
nuclear bomb. These, too, will
be modernized.

FRANCE: —

The French ‘‘Force de frap-
pe’’ consists of 18 S-3
medium-range missiles each
with one warhead of one mega-
tonne and a 3,500 kilometre
range.

40 Mirage aircraft, each
armed with one nuclear bomb
of 60 kilotonnes and 11 reserve
bombers, all capable of reach-
ing Soviet territory and a five
ship nuclear submarine fleet
carrying a total of 80 missiles
with a 4,000 kilometre range,
complete France’s nuclear
arsenal.

French modernization plans
call for a six submarine fleet
carrying 96 warheads.

* * *

This awesome power, de-
scribed by the U.S. as ‘not
significant’’ is regarded by the
USSR and other socialist
states as a direct and deadly
threat and, as such, must come
under negotiation alongside
the vast array of U.S. weapons
in Europe.

“It doesn’t matter what flag
the missiles fly,” a Soviet
commentator said recently.
‘‘What matters is that they are
all aimed at us.”’

ee nef f
a

ATHENS — Many mass demonstrations have taken place in different
cities all over Greece, against the presence of U.S. military bases —
demonstrations took place in Saloniki, Rethimno (Crete), Pireus and
Larissa, for example.

By far the largest was held to commemorate the peasant uprising of
1913, in Kileler (Thessalli) where Prime Minister Papandreou spoke. In
an important speech directed to the Greek armed forces and the Greek
people, he gave his answer to the pressure of the USA to retain its bases,
and included the following points:

e He said a proud people cannot forever remain in bonds that hurt
their basic interests.

e The U.S. nuclear weapons must be removed from Greece whether in
agreement with the rest of the countries in the Balkans or by unilateral
action of the Greek Government.

e The presence of the U.S. bases in Greece must be shortlived, with a
definite timetable and a date for their removal. Greece must have control
over them until then.

e Little Greece has a duty and a right to contribute to detente and
peace for humanity and the young generation.

The Communist Party of Greece called on the Greek people to remain
on constant alert and in a state of readiness because the negotiations
about the bases have reached a critical stage.

PACIFIC TRIBUNE—MARCH 25, 1983—Page 9