Statutes

1. Internationalist Standpoint (ISp) is an international organisation that brings together organisations, groups and individuals that fight for the socialist transformation of society, on a national and international basis. ISp is the name presently used and is open to change when other international organisations or currents join forces with ISp, on the basis of the same aims and principles. These principles and aims are based on the fundamental ideas of Marxism and the contributions and traditions of Marx’s co-thinkers, like Engels in the 19th century and the great revolutionaries of the first part of the 20th century, like Lenin, Trotsky, Roza Luxemburg and others. ISp stands on the documents and resolutions of the first four Congresses of the Communist International, on the experiences and lessons of the Russian revolution of 1917 and of the ideas of the Left Opposition that developed against the rise of Stalinism in the Soviet Union and the international communist movement. It fights against reformist conceptions which claim to change society through “parliamentary means”, for the revolutionary overthrow of the capitalist system and the establishment of a worldwide socialist society based on working class democracy, rejecting vehemently the methods and betrayals of Social-Democracy and Stalinism.
2. ISp works towards the building of a future mass workers’ revolutionary International and consists of national sections, groups and individuals striving to create revolutionary workers’ parties in their respective countries. The ISp is based upon the traditions of proletarian internationalism, unity in action and a deeply democratic internal regime.

Membership

3. The ISp consists of revolutionary workers, youth and others, who are members of one united organisation. Members are organised in sections of the ISp working in the different nation states or regions. Where no national section exists individuals may join the ISp and alongside and with the support of the International Coordinating Committee (ICC) of the ISp, shall work to create groups which can join the ISp as national sections.
4. Every national section and its branches, is based on the platform and accords with the structure defined and established by the world congresses and conferences of the ISp. There will only be one member-section per country.
5. National organisations are normally full sections of the ISp. However, where there are groups in the process of formation or still in discussion with the ISp, they can apply for recognition as a sympathising section.
6. The ICC is empowered to take all decisions regarding affiliation, with final agreement by a world Congress or Conference.

Internal Democracy

7. Democracy inside the organisation is of utmost importance. It is not just a moral or preferred principle but an indispensable tool in shaping the revolutionary party. Without a very open and a very democratic internal regime no correct political positions can be developed and no cadre for the revolutionary party can be built.
8. Once democratic discussion is completed, of course, unity in action is required. Traditionally the expression used in the revolutionary movement was “democratic centralism” but this was destroyed by Stalinism. “Democratic centralism” under Stalinism came to mean that the membership ought to follow the directives of the leading bodies, without any real rights to discuss, question and challenge the positions of the leadership and the leadership itself. Unfortunately, many Stalinist practices came to be incorporated into the huge majority of the political organisations of the working class, including the anti-capitalist Left and even many Trotskyist groups. We maintain the true meaning of “democratic centralism”, following the traditions of the Bolsheviks and the first period of the Communist International, when factions and debates were a natural part of the life of the organisation and debates were often public. We further maintain that “democratic centralism” in the Communist International (before the rise of Stalinism), was based on its leadership’s authority which was derived from the experience of the formation of the world’s first workers’ state in Russia. Such authority has not been present anywhere in the revolutionary movement since 1940 and the assassination of Trotsky. Therefore, given the current crisis of leadership of the proletariat on a world scale, election to a “leading” body does not automatically bestow “leadership” qualities and authority on its members, when they lack the relevant political and organisational experience.
9. An important aspect of democratic centralism is that the unified policy is derived from a flow of ideas across the organisation and new ideas, policies and innovations can come from sections, branches, individuals etc. within the organisation. These ideas can then be tested by discussion and debate and then in practice. The concept that ideas automatically emanate from the leadership group is not the way to develop ideas in the most dynamic way possible. It is therefore important that communication channels across the organisation are free and open. Instead of the term Democratic Centralism in our public material we will use the term Democratic Unity, for the reasons explained above.
10. There is a dialectical relationship between a healthy internal regime and feedback from the working class and other movements. Our membership, nationally and internationally, has a responsibility to discuss our ideas, positions, slogans etc. with the mass movements and provide feedback to the organisation, from the base upwards, leading to a “centralisation” of the different experiences, and to an improvement and a refinement of the unified policy.
11. Internal democracy is not something that can be guaranteed by statutes or written resolutions. Formal democratic rights can be granted, and often are granted, but then continuing debate on the differences becomes so polarized and bitter that minorities have no option but to split away. The internal democratic regime is, therefore, something that is related to the “culture” inside the organisation, on all levels, and has to be defended by the membership and the elected bodies, nationally and internationally. This culture relates to the way differences are discussed, minorities are treated, and meetings are run. What is required is comradely discussion of differences, full rights to minority views and proportional representation of minorities on elected bodies, in an atmosphere of respect for different opinions.
12. One of the most important aspects of Statutes is to safeguard the internal democratic regime of the international organisation and its national sections. This is something that will be frequently discussed in the organisation, based on experiences and exchanges, and will be reflected in the statutes. In this sense the present document has a transitional character.

World Congresses and Conferences

13. A World Congress must be held at least once in every two years. Conferences will be called between Congresses on a regular basis.
14. The World Congress is responsible for the collective political understanding and direction of the international. Under exceptional circumstances the Congress can be delayed by a year on condition of agreement by 2/3 of the coordinating bodies and the sections of the International.
15. The main World Congress documents should be ready and the pre-Congress discussion should start at least three months before the Congress. The aim of this is to allow for the maximum possible pre-Congress discussion at all levels of the international organisation. Motions and amendments to the Congress documents must be submitted at least two weeks prior to the Congress in order for them to qualify for discussion at Congress.
16. Full sections will be represented at Congresses and Conferences and will have the decisive vote on the documents, resolutions and proceedings; sympathising organisations will have consultative votes but full speaking rights. The maximum number of delegates for any section will be 5. The aim of this is that no one section (or a very small number of sections) dominates the proceedings of the International. The number of delegates per section, relative to the size of the section, will be decided, each time, by the ICC and the Congress/Conference itself, by simple majority.
17. To qualify for full delegates to the Congress no section can be more than three months in arrears in dues to the International.
18. Members of the Checks Commission (CC) and Auditors, if not elected as voting delegates, can attend the Congress as consultative delegate with speaking rights. Members of the ICC shall be entitled to a consultative vote, except when they have been elected as a delegate by their section.
19. In the pre-Congress period, sections can make amendments to the documents proposed by the ICC or propose their own resolutions, which will have to be presented to the Congress by the sections’ elected delegates. Minority opinions or tendencies should have the right to be proportionately represented at the Congress/Conference. Delegates have the right to change their opinion on the basis of the discussion and exchange taking place at the Congress/Conference and take the responsibility for explaining their change of any previously held position to their national section or branch, where appropriate.
20. The World Congress is the highest body of the international organisation and the ICC shall effectively be dissolved at the start of its first session.
21. An extraordinary World Congress may be called at the request of one third of the full sections affiliated to the ISp at the time of the previous World Congress, or of 1/3 of the existing full ICC members. The ICC must decide on the date of the Congress within one month of receiving such a request.

International Coordination Committee (ICC)

22. The International Coordination Committee, ICC, will be elected at each World Congress. It will be comprised of members from the national sections and full-time workers of the ISp.
23. The ICC will meet by video conference at least six times per year It will also have face to face meetings, the frequency of which will be decided by the ICC and the Congresses/Conferences, depending on the needs and resources available.
24. The ICC has the obligation to prepare documents and resolutions for presentation to world congresses and conferences. It is also responsible for the coordination of the production of regular international reports and articles.
25. The ICC has the right to co-opt additional members of the ICC or to the Working Group (WG) by a simple majority vote of the full ICC members after consultation with the leadership of all national sections and the agreement of a majority. The number of co-options may not exceed one third of the full ICC members elected at the World Congress.
26. Communication between ICC members and between all members, will be unhindered.
27. The issue of gender composition is extremely important for the ICC and all bodies of the ISp. There will be a continuous effort to achieve the best possible gender composition in the leading bodies, aiming at 50% of non-male comrades. Equally important is the issue of the renewal of the leading bodies, aiming at having a significant presence of younger comrades, alongside those with more experience.
28. The ICC has the right and the duty to discuss the work of different sections (as is the case with all members of the international organisation). In case of differences between a section and the ICC, on political or tactical issues of a national character, the ICC can offer advice in a comradely atmosphere and with an open mind, but it cannot impose its decisions. Such differences cannot be solved by administrative methods, but only by patient and comradely discussion. However, on issues of principle the ICC has the duty to intervene in a decisive manner in sections. Such principles are: the entry of a section into bourgeois governments (or “popular front” governments), the programmatic capitulation (abandonment of the revolutionary transitional programme) to the pressures of reformism, the refusal of elected representatives to receive a worker’s wage, the abandonment of the united front tactic and a shift into sectarianism, the liquidation of the organisation into other formations, etc.

Working Group (WG)

29. The ICC will elect an International Working Group (WG) to be responsible for the day-to-day work of the organisation. All major decisions will have to be referred to the ICC. At a later stage the roles (and the names) of the ICC and the WG can be adjusted and, also, other bodies can be elected to coordinate the work of the International
30. The ICC shall be responsible for the interim appointment of full-time or part-time workers of the ISp, subject to ratification by Congress/Conference at the earliest opportunity.

Democratic Rights and Discipline

31. The ICC shall be responsible for ensuring a process of discussion throughout the organisation to enable the implementation of decisions. While co-operating in carrying out decisions of the majority, any member of a minority has the right to express dissenting opinions, if they so choose, in collaboration with supporters of the majority decision. National sections have the right to circulate any material they so choose.
32. The ICC shall be responsible for ensuring open and democratic discussion throughout the organisation, in which all members can express their opinions. In the event that there are significant disagreements members have the right to form factions or other forms of internal grouping (tendencies, opinion groups, etc.) around specific issues and ideas where disagreement exists.
33. Minority opinions, tendencies, groupings, factions, etc., have the right to be proportionately represented in leading bodies, conferences, congresses, etc.
34. Discussion and exchange of ideas should be continuous in the international organisation. Different opinions on different issues can be expressed not only internally, but also in public, in a comradely manner and for the benefit of the organisation. In the case of intense debates of a factional character the World Congress or an international Conference will have the powers to define the limits of any such debate.
35. When a complaint is made against any member or body, the complaint is upheld pending investigation by the Checks Comission (CC). Once a decision has been reached by the CC any member or group is entitled to appeal to the to the next highest body up to and including the World Congress.
36. Members of the ICC, WG and congress delegates have a duty to report back to, and to be checked by the bodies that elected them, and shall be subject to recall by the relevant body which appointed them.
37. Additional conferences, meetings, camps, summers schools and events will take place on a regular basis (as is the case with the Greek and Cyprus camps) or according to particular circumstances.

Checks Comission

38. Every Congress shall elect a Checks Comission. This will be independent from other elected bodies of the international organisation and members or sections can appeal directly to it.
39. This body shall be made up of not less than three members, from different sections, who are not members of the ICC or the full timer apparatus of the ISp. The CC’s functions should be:
    • To investigate any complaints or special enquiry which may be referred to it by members, sections or the ICC, and to report to the ICC on the results of these investigations and enquiries, taking into account the will of the complainant when deciding in which form an investigatory report should be made available to the ICC.To investigate complaints of individuals, constituent parts of national sections and/or national sections against disciplinary measures taken against them by higher bodies and to submit their recommendations on these to the ICC or World Congress.

Finance                                                                                   

40. Each national section must pay dues to the international organisation at regular intervals. The level of dues, at each time, is set by a World Congress, International Conferences or ICC. There will be three different levels – for high income countries, medium income, and low income. The amount paid by each section will be determined by consultation between the WG and the national leadership, and approved by the ICC. Additional special levies may also be proposed by the ICC.
41. Each World Congress shall be presented with a full financial report. Finances should be regularly discussed at the ICC level.
42. Each World Congress shall elect at least two Auditors, from different sections, who shall not be either ICC members or employed by the international organisation, to regularly examine the organisation’s finances whenever they request to do so, either together or separately.

General

43. In the election of bodies, such as the ICC, the slate system is used by most organisations of the anticapitalist Left but also by mass workers’ parties. In the traditions of Stalinism, the slate system has been used to simply reproduce the current leadership and to maintain a firm control on the internal life of the organisation. We cannot allow any room for such practices. ISp will look at ways to combine comrades with a clearly defined role in the organisation to be proposed by the elected bodies as well as proposals by sections and branches. ISp will be following a flexible and open approach to different electoral systems, such as direct elections, partial slate or hybrid systems, for the leading bodies and positions of responsibility.        
44. All elected representatives of sections of ISp, like local councilors, Members of Parliament, etc., must live on a worker’s average wage, discussed and agreed with the national and international leadership, and give the rest of their income to the workers’ cause and the struggle for socialism.
45. Exceptional care has to be taken at all stages and times, not to have one or two sections dominating the leading bodies or the apparatus of the international organisation.

June 2024