SOCIALIST  PARTY DISCIPLINE, UNITY, CRITICISM AND SELF CRITICISM

PARTY DISCIPLINE, UNITY, CRITICISM AND SELF CRITICISM

Ours is a socialist party. Within our Socialist Party ranks, democracy is correlative with centralism and freedom with discipline. They are the two opposites of a single entity, contradictory as well as united, and we can not one-sidedly emphasize one to the denial of the other. Within the ranks of our party, we cannot do without freedom, nor can we do without discipline; we cannot do without democracy, nor can we do without centralism. This unity of democracy and centralism, of freedom and discipline, constitutes our democratic centralism. Under this system, the party members enjoy extensive democracy and freedom, but at the same time they have to keep within the bounds of socialist discipline. We must affirm anew the discipline of the party, namely:

(1) the individual is subordinate to the party;
(2) the minority is subordinate to the majority;
(3) the lower level is subordinate to the higher level; and
(4) the entire membership is subordinate to the Central Committee and its Politburo.

Whoever violates these lines of discipline disrupts party unity.

One requirement of party discipline is that the minority should submit to the majority. If the view of the minority has been rejected, it must support the decision passed by the majority. If necessary, it can bring up the matter for reconsideration at the next meeting, but apart from that it must not act against the decision in any way.

All members of our party must heighten their sense of discipline and resolutely carry out orders, carry out our policy, and carry out our rules of discipline.

As we socialists, who base all our actions on the highest interests of the broadest masses of the Zambian people and who are fully convinced of the justice of our cause, never balk at any personal sacrifice and are ready at all times to give our lives for the cause, can we be reluctant to discard any idea, viewpoint, opinion or method which is not suited to the needs of the people? Can we be willing to allow political dust and germs to dirty our clean faces or eat into our healthy organisms? Countless numbers of our ancestors have laid down their lives in the interests of our homeland, and our hearts are filled with pain as we the living think of them – can there be any personal interest, then, that we would not sacrifice or any error that we would not discard?

We must not become complacent over any success. We should check our complacency and constantly criticize our shortcomings, just as we should wash our faces or sweep the floor every day to remove the dirt and keep them clean.

As for criticism, do it in good time; don’t get into the habit of criticizing only after the event.

Taught by mistakes and setbacks, we have become wiser and handle our affairs better. It is hard for any political party or person to avoid mistakes, but we should make as few as possible. Once a mistake is made, we should correct it, and the more quickly and thoroughly the better.

We shall solidly unite all the members of our party on democratic centralist principles of organization and discipline. We shall unite with any comrade if he abides by the party’s programme, Constitution and decisions.

This democratic method of resolving contradictions among us is anchored on  “unity, criticism, unity”. To elaborate, it means starting from the desire for unity, resolving contradictions through criticism or struggle and arriving at a new unity on a new basis. In our experience, this is the correct method of resolving contradictions among ourselves. It is imperative to overcome anything that impairs this unity.

Fred M’membe
President of the Socialist Party