Last week we looked at the ways in which the class collaborationist policies of the Communist and Socialist Parties - embodied in their respective 'democratic fronts', the Democratic Council and the Democratic Platform - were in contradiction with the realities of Spanish capitalism and the present course of the struggle in Spain. In the coming weeks we will ask: What kind of democracy for Spain? And where do the Council and Platform stand on some crucial questions that will decide this?
Is it democratic' that the capitalists should be able to use their immense wealth and their control over the means of production to control the operation of democracy and tnwart une aspiramons or the explored masses.
This is the basis of all capitalist democracies. This is what allows the capitalists to rule behind the scenes, even though the political set-up is supposed to be working class can do about it is counterpose their capacity for self-organisation and militant struggle to the power and wealth of the capitalists. But in a country like Spain, where the capitalists have chosen to rule so long through a dictatorship, uncy lacc doir brooien. waet the dictatorship collapses, they find themselves without the necessary instruments to translate their economic power into effective political power- - capitalist political parties with a mass base.
Mass influence For at least a short period after the collapse of such a dictatorship, the workers parties will be the only political groups in the country with mass influence. Moreover, if they have played a leading role in bringing down the dic. tatorship (as they will in Spain) they will also have immense prestige From the standpoint of the working class une lesson is oovious use this advantageous situation to place the working class at the nead or the country and stop the capitalists from building up their political machinery of deceit and manipulation. For the capitalists the time after the collapse of the dictatorship in order to build up effective capitalist parties.
The programmes of the Democratic Council and the Platform come down clearly on the side of the capitalists on ums quesnon. Once Ene cctatorsnip collapses they are for the formation of a "provisional government which will represent all those currents who say they are in favour of democracy (including what the Communist Party calls the civilised right - that is, reactionaries who say they will accept democracy)
Already various capitalist groups, sensing which way the wind is blowing are careruny upping mei toes u tae democratic water. By the time the dictatorship falls under the hammer blows of the working class, even the most diehard Irancoists will be waving the dem ocratic flag and claiming their place in this provisional government. Breathing space ine councu and Flattorm programmes also allow for a long pause of 12 to 18 months after the setting up of this provisional government before elections are neid - just the breathing space the capitalists need to reorganise for the change-over from capitalist dictatorship to capitalist democracv. In a re cent interview with the French paper Le Monde the leader of the Spanish Communist Party, Santiago Carillo, made i cicar tnal tnis delay was a concession to the capitalists:
*The programme of the Democratic Council foresees elections at the end of a year of provisional government. But as lal as we are concerned mne commun ist Party would be prepared to go to the polls even two or three months after the overthrow of the dictatorship and the re-establishment of democratic freedoms... That is to say, it is not us who will be delaying consultation of the people.
Thus, in order to try to woo thereluctant capitansts to the cause or dem ocracy, the Communist and Socialist Parties put forward a plan which would allow the capitalists the time they need to reorganise, and thus undermine the struggle of the Spanish masses to take control of their own future.
The only way in which a genuine democratic expression of the masses can come about in Spain is through the sort ol demands that the Spanish militants of the Fourth International are fighting for - the formation of a workers government, based on the organisations of the Labour Government's decision to send a representative to Franco's funeral. For Conference report, see page 12 FOUNDED Last Saturday's 'Conference in Solidarity with the Spanish Working Class'-Michael Foot uttered not a word of criticism of the working class which have played the leading role in bringing down the Francoist dictatorship: and immediate organisation of elections to a Constituent Assembly based on universal suffrage Only a programme such as this can set Spain on the road to a genuine democracy in which the wishes of the exploited masses can be expressed and carried into action. The policies of the Communist and Socialist Parties lead simply to the sort of capitalist "democracy we have in this country, which -is ust a smokescreen tor tne manoeuvre and manipulations of the capitalists NEXT WEEK: Is it democratic' for the capitalists to attack and murder workers fighting for their rights?