November’s presidential election resulted in victory for hardline Sinhala chauvinist Mahinda Rajapakse, who primised to ’review’ the peace process with the Tamil Tiger rebels. Opposition from the Tamils themselves and Rajapakse’s reliance of chauvinist ultras means major upheval in the months to come.
Verso Winter Book Sale
9 December 2005Verso, the leading English language publisher of radical books, is running a stock-clearance booksale, featuring many books of exceptional interest to Marxists at knock-down prices.
LPP organises 5000 strong anti-WTO rally
7 December 2005, byThousands of Labour Party Pakistan activists demonstrated today (Tuesday 6 December) in Lahore against the imperialist onslaught of privatization and the WTO.
In Defence of Democracy
5 December 2005Intellectuals and personalities worldwide call for defence of Venezuelan democracy, as Washington-inspired opposition boycott of December 4 National Assembly elections leads to pro-Chavez walkover.
Defend Iranian Workers
1 December 2005The courts of the government of Iran have sentenced a number of prominent labour movement activists to several years in prison, to be followed for some of them with exile. Their only “crime” is the attempt to hold a celebration event on May Day 2004.
Mandel Symposium success
22 November 2005Around 250 people attended a colloquium in Brussels on 19 November to discuss the life and ideas of Ernest Mandel, who died ten years ago this year.
State of emergency: the choice of repression
14 November 2005, byThe state of emergency is the armed wing of liberalism...It would be unthinkable for part of the Left to persist in its accommodation with the government and not vote against the prorogation of the state of emergency.
Curfew cannot stop revolt
14 November 2005In spite of the emergency powers that came into force at midnight on 9 November, the movement of revolt that is sweeping the poor neighbourhoods and estates on the edges of France’s major cities is continuing.
Stand against privatisation
14 November 2005On 8 November a thousand people gathered in Paris for a united front meeting to oppose the privatisation of EDF and to prepare for the national demonstration in defence of public services planned for 19 November.
Support needed for sacked union leader
11 November 2005Per Johansson, leader of the metro drivers union in Stockholm was sacked, on the 29th of September, by the multinational company, Connex. This has now turned in to a very important struggle, not only to reinstate Per Johansson, but a fight against attacks on union rights in Sweden.