London Regional Forum Sets Priorities for the Coming Year of Implementation

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London Regional Forum Sets Priorities for the Coming Year of Implementation

Robert Mugabe Accuses Tony Blair Over Land, and Dismisses Sanctions

The London Regional Forum on the Mass Party Press recently met to consider the Party’s overall and regional work in 2001 and the tasks for the coming year – proclaimed Year of Implementation in the WDIE Editorial of January 7.

The Forum stressed the importance of the practical and organising work guided by the tactical line; recognising also the deepening of every trend since the September 11 terrorist attacks. For the London Region practical work found expression in consolidation of the Regional Forum and establishment of the Political Forum in the period leading to the May 2001 General Election. The Political Forum – thereby intervening in the political life of the country and as a contribution in London to building the Workers’ Opposition – had given a public face for the Party in the region, as well as primarily being directed to providing a converging point to those forces involved in struggle aainst the anti-social offensive, and deepening discussion on the necessary political programme and objectives. A significant feature of the Political Forums was the initiative to create a space in which the views of the movement could be elaborated and discussed in an atmosphere free from sectarianism and aimed at unity in action. Important practical and organisational experience had been gained, guided by the tactical line and the use of Workers' Weekly and WDIE as organising tools. In this regard improvements in the journalism and production spheres as well as in distribution, dissemination, reporting and writing for the Party’s publications had strengthened the project to develop the Mass Party Press – in which the London Regional Forum’s slogan of maximum political mobilisation is the guideline.

The Forum agreed that the work of the coming year should strengthen the organising work for planting the alternative on the soil of Britain and building the Workers Opposition. By getting stuck in and for activists to find their feet in this work thereby, the seeds of the agenda of the 4^th Congress scheduled for March 2003 would germinate.

In the context of the regional work this entailed continuity in the work to establish the Mass Party Press, and the Regional organising work and to advance the Political Forum; as characterised by the New Year Editorial this means continuing with the regional guide of maximum political mobilisation to implement the tactical line and the organising work to achieve this.

The Regional Forum was confident that the experience gained would enable further advance and pledged to persist in the practical and organisational work to plant the alternative on the soil of Britain and build the Workers Opposition.

Zimbabwe's President Robert Mugabe accused Tony Blair on Saturday, January 12, of reneging on pledges to support land reforms and said the country would survive sanctions, state news agency ZIANA reported.

Robert Mugabe told an interdenominational prayer meeting in Harare it was puzzling that Britain was keen to discuss Zimbabwe's forthcoming presidential elections but had not fulfilled its promise of financial support for land reforms, ZIANA said.

"You can't deny responsibility in one area and accept it in another," the Zimbabwe President said on Saturday. "Sanctions or no sanctions, Zimbabwe will survive."

On Saturday, ZIANA said Mugabe appealed for a peaceful campaign ahead of the presidential poll scheduled for March 9 and 10.

The Zimbabwe president is reported as saying, "The gates are open for racists to go. Those who want to stay with us should stay and respect our values."

On his arrival in neighbouring Malawi, where he is to attend an extraordinary summit of southern African heads of states on Monday, Robert Mugabe maintained his attack on Tony Blair and told the state-owned Malawi Broadcasting Corporation in an interview that "Blair wants that old colonisation of Zimbabwe".

The Zimbabwe issue will be on the agenda of the 14-member Southern African Development Community, as well as the war in the Democratic Republic of Congo.

Meanwhile, it is reported that Tony Blair has spoken to South African leader Thabo Mbeki about the deepening crisis in Zimbabwe. During their telephone call, the Prime Minister and President Mbeki agreed the situation in Zimbabwe was very serious. "It is clearly deteriorating in a way that is giving everyone cause for concern," Tony Blair's spokesman said.