Workers' Communist Party (Norway)

Workers' Communist Party (in Norwegian: "Arbeidernes Kommunistparti", "AKP"), was a Norwegian communist party (1973–2007). It was a predecessor of the current party Red founded on 10 March 2007.

AKP was founded in 1973, as "Arbeidernes Kommunistparti (marxist-leninistene)", it arguably helds the leftmost ground in mainstream Norwegian politics. It did not participate directly in elections, but members had "activity duty", meaning that they were to work for the party's goals - passive members were not accepted. The precise number of its members is unknown.ref|aftenpostenOn February 22, 2006, the party opened some of its archives to the public, in a move the party argued was to hit out at all the rumours surrounding the party.

History

Two trends led to the formation of AKP (m-l):

*The radical movements of Western academic environments in the late 1960s and early 1970s, particularly within the context of the Vietnam war
*The split between the Soviet Union and China, which caused an ideological crisis among an older generation of communists

The founders of AKP (m-l) came from what was then known as SUF, or Sosialistisk Ungdomsforbund (Socialist Youth League). SUF had been started as the youth wing of the Sosialistisk Folkeparti, but broke away in 1969 as it developed into a marxist-leninist direction. Following the split SUF was renamed SUF(m-l).

As a result of the activity duty, many party members practiced "self-proletarisation" on the party's orders, working as manual labourers, especially in the period fram 1974 to 1976. Later, the party encouraged its well-educated members to take work as teachers, particularly in higher education.

As a part of their policy, AKP members have joined and tried to influence several voluntary organisations in socialist direction, particularly those related to "feminism", labor unions and anti-racism.

AKP did not put its name on election ballots, choosing instead to work through Red Electoral Alliance (RV), originally AKPs electoral face, but from 1990 a party of its own without any formal link to AKP, though most of AKPs members were also members of RV In march 2007 AKP and Red Electoral Alliance (RV) merged, and formed the party Red, a revolutionary party with a programme supporting communism. Some former members of AKP have argued that since the party Red does not have activity duty or democratic centralism, it is not a communist party, while others have argued that a communist program and the fact that like traditional communist parties, Red is organized in cells, it is a communist party. Some former members of AKP, especially members of AKPs student organization, NKS, formed a marxist-leninist front, KP(m-l) together with the Marxist-Leninist Group Revolusjon. This front was ment to be an organisation with the purpose of building a traditional marxist-leninist party.

Klassekampen (Class Struggle) used to be the party's daily newspaper in the 1970s, but is from the 1990s associated to a slightly wider political spectrum. Red now owns 20% of the stocks in Klassekampen, the amount AKP owned before the merge with RV. AKP was also associated to Oktober Forlag, a publisher. From early 2000s the party published the monthly newspaper akp.no, named after the party's website, and throughout its existence it published a quarterly magazine for Marxist debate, first named Røde Fane (Red Standard), then from 2004 Rødt! (Red! - this name might have inspired the name of the new party). The newspaper akp.no continues as Red's party newspaper, under the name Rødt Nytt (Red News). The magazine Rødt! is continued under the ownership of the party Red.

Controversy

AKP and the Norwegian ML-movement were at times criticised for support of Marxist and communist regimes in other parts of the world, including the regimes of Joseph Stalin, and Mao Zedong [http://www.aftenposten.no/nyheter/iriks/politikk/article1104148.ece De dyrket Mao, Stalin og Pol Pot] (They worshiped Mao, Stalin and Pol Pot), Aftenposten, August 28, 2005 no icon] . AKP openly endorsed the Khmer Rouge of Cambodia, and when that party's forces invaded Phnom Penh, Klassekampen had "Long live the free Cambodia" as their front page headline. Support from AKP endured in spite of the killings which were reported during Pol Pot's rule which AKP at that time considered to be lies, and AKP had delegations visiting the country. [ [http://www.forskning.no/Artikler/2005/januar/1103113849.61 Blodbadet i Kambodsja] (the bloodbath in Cambodia) forskning.no, Harald Aastorp, January 4, 2005no icon]

Much of the party's inner workings have been clandestine in nature, for instance the precise number of members is kept secret. The party program has been considered militant since it called for armed revolution before 1990, and kept the possibility of having to "defend the revolusjon with arms" open since.

In 2003 two former members of the party's leadership, Finn Sjue and Egil Fossum apologized for the totalitarian culture in the party.

Membership

Some members or close sympathisers of AKP, both people who were members until 2007, and who were not, and their current position, as published in Dagbladetref|dagbla.

*Pål Steigan, freelance consultant, former leader of AKP.
*Sigurd Allern, former chief editor of Klassekampen currently professor of journalism at the University of Oslo.
*Jorun Gulbrandsen, former leader of AKP.
*Hilde Haugsgjerd, chief editor of the evening edition of Aftenposten, first leader of Red Electoral Alliance
*Bjørgulv Braanen, current chief editor of Klassekampen.
*Olav Martin Mugaas, former chief of Duplotrykk, the publisher of Klassekampen, currently the CEO of Aftenposten.
*Jon Michelet, former chief editor of Klassekampen, also a well known writer.
*Tron Øgrim, journalist, author and politician.
*Jahn-Arne Olsen, general secretary of the association of Norwegian journalists.
*Egil "Drillo" Olsen, football coach (Norway, Vålerenga I.F., Wimbledon F.C., Fredrikstad F.K., Iraq).
*Knut Olsen, host of several shows at the Norwegian Broadcasting Corporation.
*Otto Jespersen, famous TV comedian.
*Geir Mork, CEO of the publisher Gyldendal.
*Anders Heger, CEO of the publisher Cappelen.

Others who have been members or close sympathisers of AKP:
*Ingrid Baltzersen, the last leader of AKP, now vice leader of Red
*Torstein Dahle, leader of the party Red, the last leader of Red Electoral Alliance and councillor in Bergen
*Dag Solstad, novelist
*Erling Folkvord, councillor for Red Electoral Alliance in Oslo
*Herman Kristoffersen, mayor of Tromsø
*Per Petterson, novelist
*Hans Rotmo, musician
*Henning Mankell, Swedish writer, participated as a non-member in the activities of the party during the 1970s. [cite book |title=De svenska maoisterna |last=Augustsson |first=Lars Åke |coauthors=Hansén, Stig |year=2001 |publisher=Lindelöw |location=Göteborg |isbn=91-88144-48-8 |pages=162 |language=Swedish]

Party Leaders

*Sigurd Allern 1973-1975
*Pål Steigan 1975-1984
*Kjersti Ericsson 1984-1988
*Siri Jensen 1988-1992
*Solveig Aamdal 1992-1997
*Jorun Gulbrandsen 1997-2006
*Ingrid Baltzersen 2006-2007

References

* [http://www.aftenposten.no/nyheter/iriks/politikk/article1104148.ece "They worshipped Stalin, Mao and Pol Pot"] , article in Aftenposten.
* [http://www.dagbladet.no/nyheter/2003/07/27/374521.html Freedom of speech as bread and butter] , article in Dagbladet
*"Mao, min Mao", by Hans Petter Sjøli. Book about AKP (m-l), published in 2005.

External links

*no icon [http://www.akp.no Arbeidernes kommunistparti] - Official website
*en icon [http://www.akp.no/spraak/index.htm Workers' Communist Party] - Site in English
*no icon [http://www.ml-historie.no ml-historie.no] - Party archives