Prologue
These statutes were adopted at the 1st Convention of the Communist Workers Platform held on the 8th and 9th of July, 2023. The statutes are adapted from the statutes of the Communist Party of Greece adopted in their 19th Congress in 2013.
Introduction
a) The Communist Workers’ Platform of the USA (CWPUSA) is a communist organization striving for the reconstruction of the Communist Party of the working class in the United States, its conscious, organized, ideological political vanguard, its highest form of organization. The CWPUSA is a revolutionary organization of like-minded volunteers which is struggling to overthrow capitalism and build the socialist-communist society in which all exploitation of man by man, every form of private ownership of the means of production will be abolished, and in which a higher standard of living, the rights of the people and equality of opportunities and rights will be assured, as will the all-round social progress in the USA.
The strategic goal of the CWPUSA is the conquest of revolutionary working class power, the dictatorship of the proletariat, for socialist construction. The CWPUSA aims to devote all its forces to building this superior society, being fully aware that it will be the task of the working class itself, at the head of all those who suffer from capital’s power, and of its substantial participation both in the struggle to win it, and in the process of safeguarding and consolidating it.
The working class, the vehicle of socialist change, fighting in the front ranks of the struggle to overthrow capitalism, is striving not only for its own liberation but for the liberation of all working people.
For these reasons, it is a historical necessity for the CWPUSA to exist and grow stronger in the United States. In order to win its fight against daily oppression of capital and to end the exploitation of person by person, the working class needs its own independent political organization, a revolutionary Party capable of guiding its struggle for its vital interests and the construction of a new higher society, the socialist-communist one.
b) In its organization, functioning and activity to realize these noble aims, the CWPUSA is guided by the worldview of Marxism-Leninism and proletarian internationalism. It is inspired by the first attempt in history at working class power, the Paris Commune (1871), and even more so by the first victorious socialist revolution in Russia in October 1917. It utilizes the positive and negative lessons learned from the construction of socialism in the 20th century, above all in the USSR. It understands the lesson that the class struggle continues until the abolition of every source of social inequality, every form of private ownership of the means of production. The CWPUSA is guided by lessons of the class struggle in the United States.
The CWPUSA, based on its worldview and with the aim of developing it, studies the socio-economic and political developments in the United States and internationally. On this basis it forms its programme, strategy, and tactics.
c) The transition from the capitalist society, which is going through a deep crisis, to a socialist society presupposes the conquest of political power by the working class, the socialization of the concentrated means of production, the creation of producer cooperatives in agriculture, the central scientific planning of social production and services, workers’ control — which will liberate the creative activity of the workers — and the youth. The CWPUSA is struggling with all its strength to make the working class and its allies aware of this need. In this framework, it exhausts every opportunity in its daily struggles to defend the lives of the working people, their economic, political, trade union, and cultural rights and freedoms.
In this struggle it seeks the unity of the working class, regardless of specialty, educational level, nationality, cultural and linguistic traditions or gender. It seeks the alliance of the working class with the poor farmers and self-employed in a people’s antimonopoly anti-capitalist alliance of struggle for working class power.
d) The organizational structure and operation of the CWPUSA are determined by its aims and its revolutionary character. Its fundamental principle is democratic centralism.
The consistent application of democratic centralism, in all its aspects, is necessary for the ideological, political, and organizational unity of the Party, a necessary condition for it to achieve its goals.
e) The CWPUSA is founded on the principle of proletarian internationalism. It bases its internationalism on the common interests of the working class and the common necessity and goal for socialism-communism in every capitalist country. It educates its members in the spirit of proletarian internationalism, international solidarity, and cooperation with workers worldwide. It fulfills its internationalist obligations consistently and participates in the struggle for the regroupment, ideological and strategic unity, and the strengthening of the international communist movement.
The CWPUSA struggles against all manifestations of fascism, nationalism, chauvinism, and racism and identifies patriotism with the class struggle.
Chapter 1: Organizing Principles and Rules for the Constitution, Operation, and Activity of the CWPUSA
ARTICLE 1
The structure and operation of the CWPUSA are based on the principle of democratic centralism, which is an irreplaceable component of its revolutionary character.
Democratic centralism means inner-Party democracy, centralized leadership, and unified action in implementing decisions with conscious discipline.
Based on democratic centralism, the creation and activity of organized groups within the Party are not permitted. This would undermine its ideological-political-organizational unity, its democratic operation, and its effective action.
The main elements of democratic centralism are:
a) Bringing the operation and activity of all Party organizations under one leading center, the Central Committee, which is the highest leading organ during the period between conventions.
b) That decisions made by higher leading organs must be implemented by lower organs, Party organizations, and Party members.
c) Conscious Party discipline where the minority submits to the majority. In the event of disagreement, those who disagree are obliged to unconditionally implement the decision made by the majority.
d)The election and right to recall regarding leading organs or members of these organs. Regular and extraordinary accountability to the organizations and the bodies that elected them. Systematic provision of information to the Party organizations about their decisions
e) Collectivity as the highest principle of the Party’s leadership, an essential condition for the unity, the unified and effective activity of the Party and all its organizations, the correct education, and the development of the activity and initiative of the Party members. Decisions taken by only one individual substituting the collective decisions of the organs cannot exist in the Party.
In the framework of collectivity, the personality and contribution of every Party member develops.
f) Equality of all Party members with respect to their rights and obligations.
g)The monitoring, the criticism, and self-criticism as necessary elements for the implementation of decisions and the development of activity, the generalization of experience, dealing with weaknesses and correcting mistakes, the education and strengthening of conscious Party discipline.
Criticism and self-criticism are only exercised through the responsible organs and PBOs of the Party.
ARTICLE 2
a) Party Base Organizations (PBOs) are created in the workplaces, above all in the industrial businesses and sectors, in other enterprises, institutions, and services, and amongst the self-employed. In addition, PBOs are created in the places of residency, the cities and villages.
The Party members who work in industrial or other enterprises, institutions, and services, belong compulsorily to the organizations in their workplace or sectors. Exceptions are decided on by the Sectoral Committees or the Central Committee.
b)The PBOs are organized into Sectoral Organizations. If the CC decides where there is a need, Regional Organizations which will unite a number of Sectoral Organizations can be created.
In special instances, the Central Committee can create PBOs which are directly guided by it.
For the guidance of the organizations of the US colonies such as Puerto Rico, Guam, and the Virgin Islands, as well as of the organizations in countries abroad, the Central Committee can create a Sectoral Committee, which is responsible for the unified guidance of these Party Organizations.
ARTICLE 3
Leading organs, Secretaries and their Bureaus, as well as representatives to higher leading organs, are elected by secret ballot, according to the procedure set out in the regulations.
Persons who receive more than 50% of the votes cast by those present are elected. If, after the first ballot, the number of those elected is not filled, a second final ballot is held that includes the candidates who did not receive more than 50% of the votes. In the second ballot, they are elected according to the number of votes received.
All other decisions on other issues are taken by open ballot and a relative majority.
ARTICLE 4
In conditions of prohibitions of the Party’s activity, democratic centralism is applied with forms that safeguard the continuity of its single leadership and activity.
Chapter 2: Party Members: Obligations and Rights
ARTICLE 5
Any person over the age of 18 who does not exploit the labor of others and accepts the Programme and Statutes of the CWPUSA, belongs to and works in one of its organizations, and pays their dues regularly is a member of the CWPUSA.
ARTICLE 6
Members of the CWPUSA are primarily workers. Also, leading working people from the oppressed popular strata, self-employed people, farmers as well as other workers or non-workers that actively participate in the class struggle.
a) New members are accepted into the Party on an individual basis only. People wishing to become Party members must first become candidate members. This candidacy period lasts for one year.
b) The accession of someone as a candidate member to the Party requires the recommendation of two full Party members who must have known the candidate for at least one year. The Party members who make the recommendations are responsible to the Party for their proposal. The accession to the Party is decided on by the assembly of the PBO and is ratified by the immediately higher organ within 3 months at the latest.
The length of a person’s Party life is calculated from the day on which the Party’s Base Organisation (PBO) decided to admit them to the Party as a candidate member.
Candidate members have all the obligations and rights of full members, apart from the right to vote and stand for election. Their votes on all other issues are advisory. The PBO Bureau must provide every possible assistance to new members so that they may start their Party life in the right way, assimilating the principles of the Party’s organization and operation. Candidate members must compulsorily pass through a self-education course. The decision to promote a candidate to full membership is made at the assembly of the Party’s Base Organisation. The decision is made upon a proposal of the Bureau of the PBO in the presence of the person concerned. The decision is ratified by the immediately higher leading organ within 3 months.
c) Former Party members who were expelled from or left the Party can be readmitted as long as the higher organ approves the beginning of the procedure; there follows a special examination and decision of the General Assembly of the PBO with an increased majority of 4/5 of the members present and the final ratification by the higher organ with a similar majority.
d) Former members of other parties may be accepted as candidate members of the CWPUSA, with a probationary term of two years, after recommendation by two Party members with one year of Party life. In such cases, ratification is required by the immediately higher organ.
When leading cadres from another Party are involved, approval of the Central Committee is required for the procedure to start. The PBO examines the application as determined by paragraph C and afterwards the final decision of the Central Committee is required.
A group accession of former members of other political parties and organizations cannot occur. What is required is the first approval of the Central Committee for the procedure for the individual application of each member of this group to begin. Then the General Assembly of the PBO follows, based on the aforementioned provisions.
e) CWPUSA members who live in another country may transfer to the corresponding Party or communist organization in that country upon approval by the Central Committee. Likewise, approval is required from the Central Committee for acceptance into the Party of a member from another Communist or Workers’ Party or Organization, provided that they have ceased their previous organizational relationship.
f) A CWPUSA member cannot belong to any other Party, political organization, political initiative, or grouping.
g) Party Members who move from one organization into the range of activity of another organization must notify their original organization in good time, ensuring the transfer to the organization to which they are going. The transfer of Party members is accompanied by a note with the opinion of the leading organ regarding their activity in the organization they used to belong to. The transfer of cadres requires the approval of the corresponding leading organ. The completion of the transfer procedure is monitored by the leading organs and the Secretariat of the CC within the space of 3 months.
h) The Party can carry out a re-registration of its members if decided on by Convention. The time and procedure are determined by the CC.
ARTICLE 7
The CWPUSA member represents the Party wherever they are, particularly in their workplace. They are distinguished by their militant stance, class solidarity with their colleagues, for their character and responsible stance at work, in the family, and in their lives as a whole.
The members of the CWPUSA cannot have privileges from their participation in the Party, nor can they tolerate the existence of such privileges. All Party members have the same rights and obligations.
ARTICLE 8
Party members have the following obligations:
To participate in the Assemblies of the PBO to which they belong and pay their dues to.
To take a personal part in the discussions, decision-making, and practical work of their organization.
To contribute to the elaboration of the Party policy by voicing their thoughts and experience from their practical action.
To carry out the decisions of the PBO and higher leading organs irrespective of their own personal views.
To make the Party’s policies and ideology known among the working people.
To contribute to consolidating and widening its links with the workers and other working people; to their enlightening and organization in the workplaces and neighborhoods.
To be a member of their union or other mass popular organization and to be in the vanguard in these organizations based on the political line of the Party.
To study and distribute New Worker and other Party publications in order to put forward its policy and ideology and defend it against distortions, slander, anticommunism and unjust criticism.
To make sure they keep up their knowledge of the Marxist-Leninist worldview and to improve their ideological, educational, and political level so that they will be in a position to fulfill their vanguard role consistently; to struggle firmly, to fight resolutely and uncompromisingly against bourgeois ideology and the bourgeois political line, and against every kind of deviation from the theory of Marxism-Leninism, against opportunism.
To fight actively for the Party’s ideological, political, and organizational unity, to comply with and defend the Statutes and the principles contained therein.
To develop inner-party democracy and to fight against any violation of the operating bylaws, any complacency, selfishness, nepotism, or localism.
To deal decisively with any attempt to obstruct criticism against anything that may damage the Party or stand in the way of the free expression of opinion and, regardless of the persons involved, to report this to the Party organs, up to and including the Central Committee.
To draw new members to the CWPUSA, to contribute tirelessly to organizationally strengthening the building of the Party, especially in the large factories and other workplaces, and to keep trying to improve the methods used in Party work.
To protect the Party from attacks by adversaries of all kinds, developing a revolutionary vigilance.
To defend the Party’s ideals and aims everywhere, always and under any circumstances whatsoever, without concessions.
To protect the Party in their practical work, under interrogation, in the courts, in prison, and steadfastly to defend the values and noble title of member of the CWPUSA.
The Party member is obliged to exercise their rights, along with their obligations, which flow from the Party statutes.
ARTICLE 9
Party members have the following rights:
To participate in discussions held to shape Party policy in the PBO Assemblies, in the organs of which they are members, and at conferences and Conventions to which they are elected delegates.
To participate in discussions and dialogue determined by the Central Committee through the Party press.
To take part in the election of the Party’s leading organs and to stand for office in them, if they meet the requirements set out by the Statutes.
To express their opinion freely and responsibly to the competent organs about the activity of any Party member or cadre of any leading organ or Organization whatsoever.
To demand responsible information from the Party organs about Party issues.
To be informed as fully as possible about the ideological and political basis for decisions which are to be put into effect, as well as about the activities of the organs and cadres.
To address themselves, on any Party or personal issue, to the organization they belong to, as well as to any higher leading organ in the organization including the CC and the Party convention.
To demand to be given prompt, reasoned responses to proposals or questions. PBOs or the leading organs are obliged to responsibly deal with any issue arising to the detriment of a Party member and to make sure that the member is promptly informed thereof.
To take part in Party Assemblies and meetings of the organs to which they belong when an issue is brought up with respect to their activity.
To demand the undeviating application of the operating regulations of the Party’s organizations and organs.
ARTICLE 10
The recruitment of women from the working class and other popular strata to the Party must be the permanent concern of the Party members. All the Party organizations must develop permanent and stable activity for the rights, equality and emancipation of women, and their participation in the social and political struggles.
Chapter 3: The Leading Organs of the CWPUSA
ARTICLE 11
The Convention is the Party’s highest leading organ.
A regular Convention is convened by the Central Committee every two years.
An extraordinary Convention may be convened if decided by the Central Committee or upon a proposal by a Regional Committee or Party Base Organizations (PBOs) if approved by the other regional committees and PBOs that do not report to a regional committee representing 50% of the total Party members. This proposal must be submitted to the Central Committee. The Central Committee is obliged to submit it to the judgment of the other regional committees and PBOs that do not report to a regional committee within three months, at the latest, from its date of submission. The Central Committee is obliged to hold a Convention within at least three months. In both cases, an extraordinary convention cannot be convened on the same issues before one year has elapsed.
ARTICLE 12
The decision to hold a regular convention and the issues to be discussed at it are announced by the Central Committee at least three months before it is to take place.
The Convention is in quorum when the number of delegates present constitutes the majority of the delegates elected.
The delegates to the Convention are elected in a uniform ratio which the Central Committee lays down, by regional conferences and organizations, under the direct guidance of the Central Committee. Members of the Central Committee and the Central Audit Committee who have not been elected delegates may take part in the Convention with the right to speak.
ARTICLE 13
The Party Convention:
Discusses and judges the report of the Central Committee and the Central Audit committee. It determines the duties of the Party until the next Convention.
Votes on or amends the Party’s Program and Statutes.
Elects the Central Committee and the Central Audit Committee
For a person to be elected to these organs, they must have at least one year of Party life.
The number of members of the Central Committee and the Central Audit Committee is determined by the Convention.
ARTICLE 14
The Central Committee is the Party’s leading organ between Conventions:
a) It guides the Party’s entire ideological, political, and organizational activity.
b) It sets out the Party’s policy and relations with other parties or organizations on the basis of the directions laid down by the Convention.
c) It appoints the persons to be responsible for the Party’s central mass media, both press and electronic media.
d) It decides on the creation, content, and composition of auxiliary sections and committees of the Central Committee and appoints persons responsible for them.
e) It ratifies the number and composition of the professional cadres in the Party.
f) It decides on the candidates for public elected offices of broader or national importance.
g) It decides to recall Party members occupying the publicly elected offices of the country.
h) It determines the percentage of revenues which must be handed over by the Party organizations to its central Treasury. It manages the Party’s finances and all its property.
ARTICLE 15
The Central Committee elects the General Secretary as well as a Secretariat from among its members. The Secretariat is engaged in the guidance of the organizations, in monitoring the implementation of decisions and in dealing with on-going Central Committee matters. The number of members of the Secretariat and its precise responsibilities are determined by the Central Committee.
The Central Committee also elects two Party Control Liaisons (PCLs) and appoints its chairperson. The PCLs examines charges brought by Party Organisations and members against members, organs and Organisations with respect to violations of Party discipline, of the Statutes; it also examines objections against decisions to expel members from the Party or to impose other penalties. A report is drafted containing proposals to be sent to the Central Committee for final decisions. It examines applications for the reinstatement of Party members who have for various reasons lost their Party membership, and determines the number of years of their Party life.
ARTICLE 16
The Central Committee meets in regular plenums every three months and extraordinarily on the decision of three or more members of the committee, when an issue arises.
The members of the Central Audit Committee take part in Central Committee plenums with the right to speak and cast an advisory vote.
In special cases, the Central Committee may convene an extended plenum in which other Party cadres, decided by the CC, may take part.
ARTICLE 17
During the period between Conventions, the Central Committee of the CWPUSA may call a Nationwide Conference:
Obligatorily, if there has been a decision by a previous Convention to examine a particular issue. In addition, if it considers that a serious matter based on the socio-economic developments, the class struggle, or that there is an extremely serious need to discuss problems which concern the Party.
The following will take part in such a conference: the members of the Central Committee, the members of the Central Audit Committee, delegates from Party organizations elected by the regional committees and other organizations under the direct guidance of the Central Committee. The Central Committee will decide on the number of delegates to be elected in a uniform ratio.
The conference can make decisions within the framework of the Party’s Programme and Statutes and may fill in up to 1/10 of the members of the Central Committee.
The Central Committee will set the agenda for the conference and announce it at least one (1) month before the conference is to be held.
Chapter 4: Party Base Organizations
ARTICLE 18
The Party Base Organisation (PBO) is the foundation of the Party, the Party in its field of activity.
PBOs are created with the approval of the higher organ, in places determined by Article 2 of these Statutes, provided that there are at least 3 Party members.
In places where no PBOs exist, they can be created upon the responsibility of the higher organ, with Party members who come from other Organizations.
PBOs which do not fulfill their purpose are dissolved by decision of the higher organ and with the approval of the Central Committee.
ARTICLE 19
Once a year, the PBO meets in a general account-and-election assembly to elect the Secretary and Bureau that are accountable to the PBO.
In PBOs with up to 10 members, one Secretary is elected together with one deputy Secretary. PBOs with ten and more members elect a Secretary and Bureau. The number of its members is determined by the assembly of the PBO, in proportion to the number of PBO members.
ARTICLE 20
PBOs can create sections and working groups of PBO members, and Party fractions in mass organizations to improve their work and fulfill their duties. The Bureau of the PBO, or the assembly of PBO members otherwise, appoints the responsible persons for the sections, the fractions in the mass organizations. These smaller groups meet in order to implement the decisions of the PBO within their area of work and monitor its implementation by the members in their area of activity. They are accountable to the assembly of the PBO.
ARTICLE 21
The PBO assembly is convened regularly, once a month. The assembly is convened at the decision of the PBO Bureau, the Secretary if there is no Bureau, or of the higher organ. The comprehensive and timely notification of all its members is required in order to call an assembly. The assembly is in quorum when greater than 50% of its members are present.
The assembly of the PBO approves the agenda that includes the issues proposed by the Bureau, the Secretary if there is no Bureau, or the ones that the assembly itself decides to discuss.
The report to the assembly is presented by the PBO Bureau, the Secretary if there is no Bureau, the higher leading organs and Party members, with the approval of the Bureau or the Secretary if there is no Bureau. The assembly states its position on the report, it takes concrete decisions and practical measures and assigns responsibilities for the implementation of the decisions of the PBO and the higher organs. At every assembly, and during the period between two assemblies, systematic control is organized as to the implementation of decisions and the mobilization of members, on the responsibility of the PBO Bureau, the Secretary if there is no Bureau and of all the members.
ARTICLE 22
The main responsibilities of the PBO are:
a) It participates responsibly and actively in the elaboration of the Party’s policy and decisions. It popularizes, applies and elaborates the specific application of the Party’s policy and the decisions of the leading organs in its field of responsibility.
b) With its planning and its stable activity It provides for the accession of new members into the Party.
c) It works for the class orientation of the activity of the trade unions and the other mass popular organizations in its field of responsibility. It plays a leading role in the creation of class oriented rallies and forms of people’s organization. It seeks the development of the struggle in the direction of the political goals of the Party, it elaborates the goals of struggle in the framework of the policy of the Party, it plays a leading role in the organization of the working class, and the other popular strata.
d) It organizes ideological-enlightenment work among its members, the friends and supporters of the Party and generally among working people and youth.
e) It provides for the daily dissemination and study of ‘New Worker’ and the publications and other printed materials of the Party.
f) It is responsible for the collection and development of the Party’s financial resources.
g) It is in contact with and directly linked with the supporters, friends and voters of the Party, it utilizes them and asks their opinion about the policy, the decisions and the activity of the Party.
It carries out a broad activity among the masses in its field of responsibility based on social and class criteria. It permanently and steadily strives to extend its bonds with all the leading elements in its area of responsibility; it provides for their systematic political information.
h) It discusses the problems of the youth; it takes initiatives about them and struggles in order to rally the youth around the policy of the Party.
ARTICLE 23
All the members of the PBO undertake specific duties and work to accomplish them. They give an account for these, they monitor and are monitored with respect to their action and to the activity of the PBO. Party cadres, regardless of the leading organ they may belong to, participate in their PBO, are given duties by the PBO and contribute to its activity.
ARTICLE 24
A PBO may address itself to the leading organs and to the CC to request information and suggest issues to be solved. The leading organs, within a short period of time, must provide or convey responsible answers to the PBO assembly in the presence of a member of this leading organ.
Chapter 5: The Communists in the Mass Organizations
ARTICLE 25
The CWPUSA pays particular attention to the development and to the class orientation of the mass movement, and above all of the labor trade union movement.
The leading Party organs create Party groups that act under their guidance for the specialization and the promotion of the goals of the Party in order for the Party be more effective in fulfilling its mission in the mass worker’s and people’s organizations, these groups are comprised of members elected to their committees as well as of other members who operate under their guidance. In case there are no elected Party members, a small Party group is formed of members belonging to and working actively in the particular organization.
Party groups, with the consent of the Party organizations, may hold meetings of Party members and supporters belonging to and acting in these fields.
Party groups discuss the problems in their field of activity on the basis of the Party’s general positions and the guidelines of the corresponding leading organs.
Chapter 6: The Communists in the Institutions of the Bourgeois State
ARTICLE 26
The members of the Party who are elected or appointed upon a decision of the Party to legislative bodies, representative or other elected ones, and to the institutions of the bourgeois state in general, implement the policy and the decisions of the Party, are dedicated to the cause of the working class and the defense of its interests and consistently defend the people’s interests in general.
The proposal of Party members to undertake duties in these positions requires taking into account the opinion of the PBOs and the organs to which they belong to.
This position is at the disposal of the Party. The leading organs of the Party can appoint them to another area of work according to the needs of the Party.
The salaries, the compensations, the pensions or any other economic benefits that flow from their position are the income of the Party and handed over to it.
ARTICLE 27
The members of the United States Congress who are members of the Party constitute the Congressional Group.
The Central Committee is responsible for the formation of the lists of the Party according to the proposals of the leading organs. It decides on the composition of the Congressional Group.
The legislative activity of the Party is subordinated to the goals and the needs of the class struggle.
The operation of the congressional group is specified by the Central Committee of the Party.
Chapter 7: The Party’s Finances
ARTICLE 28
The Party’s financial resources come from the members’ dues, their fund-raising activity, from fund-raising campaigns, voluntary contributions, donations or bequests.
In addition, the salaries, the pensions and the compensations that the members elected or delegated by the Party to institutions of the bourgeois state receive, as well as from the financing the Party receives from its participation via elections in these institutions are income which belong to the Party.
The Party can develop business economic activity in order to safeguard its ability to inform the people about its positions, ideologically and politically, to develop its mass political enlightening activity in the framework of the promotion of its political line.
ARTICLE 29
The Central Committee stipulates the level of the members’ monthly dues which should be at least 1% of their monthly income.
The contribution of the new member for their accession to the Party is equal to one month’s dues.
The Central Committee can readjust the level of the monthly dues of the Party membership according to the conditions and the needs of the Party.
It also stipulates the percentage of the fundraising activity of the organizations which must be handed over to the CC and decides on the fundraising campaigns of the Party.
It is a duty for all the leading organs and the members of the Party to seek the constant improvement of the Party finances so as to ensure its financial independence which is an essential condition for its existence and activity, and for the fulfillment of its goals.
ARTICLE 30
The budget of the Party is approved by the Central Committee. The budget of each organization is approved by the respective leading organs.
The Audit Committees present to the bodies that elect them, Conferences or the Convention, a report on the financial situation and management.
The Central Committee manages the Party’s finances and property and provides regular briefings to Party members about the general state of the finances.
It appoints a Finance Committee which monitors and directs the sectors in question.
ARTICLE 31
The financial management carried out by the Party organizations is audited on a permanent and continuous basis by the relevant audit committees.
Audit is carried out regularly throughout the Party concerning the records of revenues and payments as well as concerning the advisability of the expenses.
ARTICLE 32
The professional cadres of the Party receive financial support which must not exceed the average salary of the working people in the private sector.
The same holds true for the members of the Party who work in the technical or auxiliary apparatus of the Party, in “New Worker”, in other Party media, and in the publishing house of the Party.
Chapter 8: Measures for the Observance and the Defense of the Statutes
ARTICLE 33
Every member, organization and organ of the CWPUSA is obliged to and responsible for the observation and the defense of the provisions of the Statutes.
Party members, cadres, PBOs and organs which violate the Statutes are subject to the following disciplinary penalties, according to the offense: Admonition, Censure, Warning of expulsion, and expulsion from the Party.
In case of serious offenses by cadres in leading organs the respective organ itself may impose the penalty of removal from office. In this instance their PBO is informed as well as the PBOs which are included in the spectrum of the activity of the organ that imposed the penalty.
ARTICLE 34
Undermining Party unity, attempting to create platforms or groupings, and violating the rules for the Party’s protection, the non-implementation of the decisions of the Party as well as other actions that may harm the Party and violate Party discipline shall result in Party penalties which may, according to the seriousness of the actions involved, include expulsion.
Members whose actions are not compatible with membership in the Party must certainly be expelled, in particular members who betray the Party to the class enemy under interrogation, in the courts; members who misappropriate funds or property belonging to the Party or to other organizations in which they represent the Party, as well as members whose behavior and conduct is incompatible with the requirements of Party loyalty and ethics.
ARTICLE 35
The organizational relationship of a member of the Party is cut short either in case of withdrawal from the Party or in case of a constant absence without due reason from Party activities for more than six months, despite the recommendations. The organizational relationship between the member and the Party is also cut short in case a member does not pay their dues for more than six months in succession despite the reminders.
In these cases the leading organ removes this member from the membership. The assembly of the PBO is informed and ratifies the decision that removes this member from the Party membership.
ARTICLE 36
The PBOs and all Party organs have the right to impose penalties.
The expulsion from the Party is decided on by the assembly of the PBO and is ratified by the immediately higher organ.
If necessary, the expulsion decision may be published in the Party press.
The higher organs can submit proposals for expulsions to the PBOs. In exceptional cases, the Central Committee may decide to expel a Party member. This right is used for serious reasons in the case of Party members whose field of responsibility extends beyond the limits of the PBO to which they belong to.
When the Statutes are violated by an entire organization or a leading organ, then the penalty imposed by the higher Party organs may include dissolution of that Party organization or organ, to be followed by its reconstitution. For such a decision to be implemented the approval by the Central Committee is required.
ARTICLE 37
The decision to impose any penalty whatsoever, and particularly that of expulsion from the Party, must be taken with the greatest care and attention, and there must be verification of whether the charges laid are in fact well grounded, the reasons for the penalty must be formulated in a concrete way.
No penalty can be imposed on any member, if they have not been informed of the charges against them and have not been called to the organization or the organ which they belong to in order to express and support their view.
No Party member will face repercussions for personal views expressed within the framework of the Statutes.
Cadres and members who impede criticism bear a serious responsibility and face penalties, even including expulsion from the Party.
ARTICLE 38
Every Party member who considers that the penalty imposed on them is unjust or excessive has the right to register an objection to the higher Party organs, up to the Central Committee, the Party Control Committee, and the Party Convention.
The penalties may be re-examined by the organs that imposed them, or by the higher organs and the Central Committee.