People's Democracy

Greetings From The Communist Party Of Sri Lanka

DEAR Comrade delegates, the Central Committee of the Communist Party of Sri Lanka conveys its warmest fraternal revolutionary greetings to the 19^th congress of the Communist Party of India (Marxist) held in the historic state of Tamilnadu.

In the context of dramatic international developments, our party considers that the 19^th congress of CPI(M) is an important event. It is also considered decisive in the context of national political developments.

The traditional fraternal relations between our two parties can be traced back to early days of struggle for Indian independence when the pioneering leaders of our two parties were comrades-in-arms as cotemporary students, much before our parties were formally founded. The Indian communists have always been nearer and dearer to us and continued to be a source of inspiration, strength and courage. The historic relations between our two peoples can be traced back to Indus Valley civilisation and their strong cultural links have reinforced deeply our fraternal relations.

The Communist Party of Sri Lanka takes this opportunity to express its deep appreciation and admiration of the significant advances made by the CPI(M) on all fronts during the preceding years.

The 19^th congress of the CPI(M) is being held in the background of on-going changes in the world balance of forces and a deep-seated crisis in the world capitalist order. Neo-liberalism has run into crisis causing financial instability, economic recession and political tensions.

The monopolies in the spheres of technology, finance, planet�s natural resources, media, weaponry of mass destruction, has taken a whole form of the framework within which global capitalism operates. However, the current trends of development also reflect positive trend with the expansion of Asian economies, reawakening of Latin America, emergence of new economic centres, and regional economic blocs-all contributing to the change in the world balance of forces in favour of the working people. The IMF, World Bank, and WTO standard-bearers of global capitalism have lost their credibility and vitality.

All these features manifestly reflect contradictory nature of neo-liberalism.

In the context of the situation in Sri Lanka caused by the policies of neo-liberalism, ethnic conflict, constitutional crisis, the Communist Party of Sri Lanka together with four other Left political parties have formed the socialist alliance. It also works in close co-operation with the Tamil left and democratic parties in the north and east.

The new socialist alliance, as a nucleus of the Sri Lankan left movement is committed to a policy of rallying radical, left and democratic forces for a viable policy alternative. The socialist alliance has been taking all possible measures to effect certain changes in the direction of finding a political solution to the ethnic question. The absence of a consensus between the two major political parties, the intransigence of the LTTE and the pressures by the extremist groups have been the stumbling bloc in our search for a final solution to the ethnic question.

The Communist Party of Sri Lanka reiterates its commitment with determination to strengthen further the fraternal relations between our two parties and expresses its best wishes for success in your struggles.