Issuing body: Majority of the Political Bureau of the PCI (pro-International Secretariat faction) — Albert (Mandel), Frank, Mestre, Privas
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Everyone stand up for the defence of Trotskyism!
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Letter from the PB to all members of the party
Comrades,
Every day the signs multiply proving that the leaders of the ex-majority are preparing the split of the party at an early date. For two weeks they have no longer been attending meetings of the political bureau, although these were convened with their agreement.
They are cynically violating party discipline: witness Garrive who, on the youth commission, has decisions taken by the political bureau in his presence, and whose execution he had been charged with ensuring, rejected.
They have just illegally convened, outside any regular session of the PB and on the decision of a faction assembly, the party's central committee for Sunday 29 June.
The majority of the political bureau and the leadership of the International are watching these splitting manoeuvres closely, but are refraining from taking any disciplinary measure. They are strictly complying with the decisions of the CEI's Eleventh Plenum, which prevent any change to the party's leading bodies before its Eighth Congress.
But the majority of the political bureau has the duty of informing the whole party of the meaning of these splitting acts. They all have one thing in common: to prevent, by every kind of provocation, the holding of the party's Eighth Congress!
For in truth, the significance of this congress is being singularly clarified by the latest events in the party. The splitting leaders of the ex-majority have openly declared that they will not apply the decisions of the CEI's Eleventh Plenum, that they will violate international discipline and thereby automatically place themselves outside the International. Now, these splitters know full well that, fortunately, there is no majority in the party for a split with the International! That is the reason why they want to prevent the holding of the party's Eighth Congress.
They have proved this intention not only through statements made to that effect at party meetings. They have proved it by fixing the congress of the youth organisation for the same days as the party congress, despite a decision to the contrary taken at the political bureau meeting of 15 June — the last PB meeting attended by the ex-majority leaders, and with their full agreement. In any case, these are actions that are in no way surprising. The ex-majority leaders are following the logic of their own positions. As for the split with the International, only Shachtman and Chaulieu applaud it frenziedly. Only imperialism and the Stalinist bureaucrats will profit from it. Whoever prepares to desert to the enemy by trampling underfoot the discipline of the International cannot logically avoid also trampling underfoot the legality of the party and its inner democracy.
But these manoeuvres will be thwarted! We already have the signatures of a third of the party's members, to be submitted to the central committee, of members who demand, as is their statutory right, that the party congress be held regularly on the date fixed.
We call on all party members who have not yet given their signature to send it immediately to the leadership, thereby stopping the criminal hands of the splitters.
When the house is on fire, political differences can no longer be an obstacle to fighting the disaster together. We call on all party members who wish to remain in the International to elect to the congress only delegates who, whatever their tendency allegiance, undertake to defend, in addition to their political convictions, the recognition and observance of the decisions of the CEI's Tenth and Eleventh Plenums.
Outside the International there is room only for political corpses or for traitors. Inside the International, there is room for all Trotskyists, whatever their differences, on condition that they submit to international discipline.
We repeat once again, in full agreement with the international leadership: despite all the provocations and all the acts of indiscipline, which would a thousand times over have justified the expulsion of those who committed them, in order to clean up the situation in the party and enable it to enter its new period of activity with the least possible damage, no leader or militant of the party will be expelled from the organisation if he declares at the Eighth Congress that he will respect international discipline and apply the decisions of the CEI's Tenth and Eleventh Plenums!
Thus the situation is clear and unambiguous. It is for each person to choose: either remain in the International, enjoying all its democratic rights, but at the same time strictly observing international discipline; or refuse to recognise these duties of discipline and thereby automatically desert the world party of the socialist revolution. Trotskyists, stand up! Against the manoeuvres of splitting and desertion! Let us make the Eighth Congress a brilliant demonstration of loyalty to Trotskyism and to the International! Long live the Fourth International, and its disciplined French section!
26 June 1952 The majority of the political bureau Albert (Mandel), Frank, Mestre, Privas