Special to the Tribune
Dolores fbarruri, president of
the Communist Party of Spain,
Speaking for the first time since
_herreturn from exile, addressed a
Communist election rally of
20,000 in the northern Basque city
of Bilbao May 23.
Ibarruri, known as ‘‘La
Sloparia’’, is one of many
Well-known candidates fielded by
the CPS in the national elections
June 15. Others included CPS
8eneral secretary Santiago Car-
Tillo and Marcos Anna, known to
Many Canadians for his visits to
ada some years ago on behalf
of the Workers’ Commissions.
_The Communist Party is run-
Ning in every one of the 250 seats
for the House of Deputies.
The first order of business after
the elections will be to hammer
Out a new Spanish Constitution.
N this process, proposals will
Come from both the House of De-
puties and the Senate. They then
Must be approved by both bodies
and submitted to a national re-
ferendum. The current law also
allows the king to submit propos-
als. He is also permitted to per-
Sonally appoint 40 senators to the
250-seat senate.
Political Spectrum
The complex Spanish political
System breaks into major blocs of
Parties which in some cases run as
a group, in others run under their
Own banners. There are, all told,
Over 200 ‘‘parties’’ in Spain. The

June 16th, 1977 will mark the
_ first anniversary of the mass

Shootings of hundreds of young
black South African students by
the South African police and
Para-military forces, said the Af-
Nican National Congress (South

| Africa) in a press release.

|

The students were protesting
the imposition of Afrikaans as
Medium of instruction in their
Schools under the Bantu Educa-
tion Act., which relegates the Af-

major ones, however, are the fol-
lowing.

On the extreme right is the
‘‘New Force”’, old supporters of
Franco, some veterans of his
army and other ultra-right
groupings:

There is a grouping of seven
Falangist parties. Its three
main components are the ‘‘Au-
thentic Falangists’’, the “‘Circles
of Jose Antonio”’ and the *‘Popu-
lar Alliance’. Each of the leaders
of the seven parties (known to
Spaniards as ‘‘The Magnificent
Seven’’) is a former minister of
the Franco government.

The ‘‘Democratic Centre”’
comprises the Liberals, the right
wing social democrats and the
Christian Democrats. These also
are basically functionaries of the
old regime.

The ‘‘Christian Democratic
Federation’’ is running outside
the ‘‘Centre’’ and was formerly
the official opposition under
Franco. Also outside the
‘*Centre’’ is the Popular Socialist
Party, a small social democratic
grouping.

The Socialist Party, the official
social democratic party in Spain,
is running under its own banners.

The Communist Party of Spain,
recently winning legality, is also
running for every seat.

There are five ultra-left groups
running as independents, as are
the Anarchists.

ay
rican population to a grossly in
ferior system of education in
order to perpetuate their state of
servitude.

The actions of the students and
the brutality with which the South
African state responded, shocked
the world. The seeming quiet has
continued to be periodically shat-
tered by more demonstrations
against the inhuman apartheid
system and again resulting in
more deaths.

| 16 to 26.

George Street, 7:30 p.m.

Mills at 8 p.m.

& oronto during these 10 days.

SOUTH AFRICA
SOLIDARITY PROGRAM

In Toronto the African National Congress (South Africa) is cal-
ling on all citizens to mark the Soweto Massacre with 10 Days of
Solidarity with the people of South Africa. The program runs June

June 18: A Silent Vigil at Nathan Phillips Square, 4-8:30 p.m.
June 18: Mass Rally at Queen’s Park at 11 a.m. to culminate at
Nathan Phillips Square. Evening a fund-raising Dinner-Dance,

_ 7:30 p.m. at St. Lawrence Market Hall.

June 19: has been designated “Day of Prayer”. Churches ac-
ross Ontario have been asked to take part.

June 20: “Solidarity with Women in the Struggle Against Apar-
theid”. A meeting at the international Students Centre, 33 St.

June 22: “South Africa-Canada Workers’ Solidarity Meeting” at
the Ontario Federation of Labor building, 15 Gervais Drive, Don

June 25: “South African Freedom Day” will be commemorated
at a Cultural evening, St. Paul’s Centre, 121 Avenue Rd., 7:30 p.m.

An exhibition depicting the plight of the people of South Africa is
expected to be held at public libraries and schools across Metro

=“

“J

The Spanish electoral system
recently worked out is a form of
proportional representation in
which voters cast their ballots for
the entire ticket. The vote is
counted in each region and seats
in the House of Deputies alloted
on the-basis of the percentage
won. In addition, the total na-:
tional vote is computed and ad-
justments made to ensyre a na-
tional representation of political
viewpoints in the House. Parties
must win'a minimum of 2% of the
national vote to elect in any
region.

Trade Unions

In spite of the retention of
Franco’s “‘vertical trade unions”’
to which all Spanish unionists by
law must belong, the role of the
real trade union movement, in the

first place the Workers’ Commis- ¢ 5

sions (led by the Communist Par-
ty) is very strong in this campaign.

While not running in their own
name, the Workers’ Commis-
sions and the General Workers
Union (led by the Socialist Party)
have many members in the cam-
paign under the banners of their
parties.

Repression Strong

It is important to bear in mind

at the foundations and structure
of the old Franco regime are still
in place. The police, the Civil
Guard, the armed forces, local
mayors, police and local officials,
courts, mass media, church — all
are strong remnants of Francoism

The struggle for freedom,
human dignity, and democratic
rights for all the people of South
Africa is not new, nor is the brut-
ality of the state — witness the
Sharpeville massacres of 1960.
Indeed the youth have carried the
ongoing struggle further, display-
ing new vigor, new determina-
tion, and a new resolve to con-
tinue the fight for freedom.

Many countries have con-
demned South Africa’s actions.
and policies, and continue to do
so. In almost every sphere of in-
ternational activity South Africa
has felt the international commun-
ity’s disapproval of the Apartheid
policy of racist domination. The
international pressure is wel-
comed by the people of South Af-
ricain the firm understanding that
progressive mankind is not ignor-

ing the plight of Black people in

South Africa.

This year the United Nations
and the Organization of African
Unity have called for an interna-
tional show of solidarity with the
struggle in South Africa. The
period chosen in the 10 days from
June 16 to 26. The 16th being the
first anniversary of the shootings
in Soweto, and the latter date
traditionally known as South Af-
rica Freedom Day — a day when
the Freedom Charter was
adopted by the Congress of the
People in 1955. The opening lines
of the preamble to the Charter
states:

“We, the People of South Africa,
declare for all our country and the
world to know: _

that South Africa belongs to all
who live in ‘it, black and white,

Santiago Carrillo, general secretary of the Spanish Communist Party,

9 y . * RS
ee ~ = 3

flanked by other leaders of the SCP speaking to the press.

and exert their massive role and
influence.

Police repression against Bas-
que workers, the violence against
May Day demonstrators and con-
tinued pressures of all kinds mark
Spanish reality today as the elec-
tion campaign unrolls. The be-
ginnings of a return to some form
of democratic government, sig-

f

PS
Re

and that no government canjustly
claim authority unless it is based
on the will of the people; ......

ae

This day marks the day of re-

ak a
- - a

nalized by the legalization of
major political parties, still pro-
ceeds together with the retention
of the powerful state machinery
of Franco. Events in the Basque
region over recent weeks in which
police repressions was extreme,
has been the regime’s answer to
the demand for complete amnesty
for unionists still imprisoned.

gle for freedom.

People from all walks of life are

urged to join in this demonstration
of support for the struggles in
South Africa for freedom and

dedication to continue the strug- justice.
PACIFIC TRIBUNE—JUNE 3, 1977—Page 7