Communist Students Supplement

Hasta la victoria siempre!

BEIRUT - Alternative Staff

December 2003

The story of the formation of Communist Students groups is the most striking evidence of the crisis leftist and rightist Arab parties in general and the Lebanese parties in particular are currently living.

Youth frustration in the Arab world and the disintegration of most ideological and secular parties created a political vacuum in Lebanon. This vacuum was filled by sectarian leadership in case of parties that came from specific sects in the country or the formation of independent secular leftist groups in universities, a model that was followed in the case of Communist Students that was formed in the wake of divisions of the rank and file of the Lebanese Communist Party.

The formation of the group also reflects the tyrannical nature of most leadership in the Arab world. Parties, like states, do not tolerate an opinion different than theirs. In case of the Arab world, the half-century and still ongoing Arab-Israeli conflict has given most state sovereigns and party heads the best excuse to repress different opinion that might question their performance and question their legitimacy.

But groups like Communist Students believe that the first step toward undoing the injustice that the Zionist movement has done to this region, in particular in Palestine, is to establish democracy and “reorganize the house from inside.”

Communist Students were formed in 2000, during the heyday of Israeli repression of the second intifada in Palestine. The group, which tolerated for a long time the tyrannical leadership of the Lebanese Communist Party (LCP), rightly thought it was time to voice its true opinion.

The group was not alone, however. Its opposition to LCP’s dictatorship came at the same time when the party was tightening its group on party figures who were expressing views different than the party’s central view.

Forces of Democracy and Reform, spearheaded by expelled politburo member Elias Atallah and the former commander of the party’s militia during the heyday of Lebanese resistance against Israel Ziad Saab, were at the same time deviating from the party.

All efforts at reconciliation hit the LCP leadership’s stubbornness and unwillingness to tolerate other opinions.

The LCP’s insistence to adopt mild stances on several issues, made the Forces of Democracy and Reform and Communist Students intensify their meetings and coordinate their efforts in an attempt to counteract the LCP’s leadership.

So far, Communist Students have outdid themselves in term of organization. The group’s growing membership reached a record high, 150, over the past three years. The group was pretty active in drafting its political and organizational documents.

Communist Students also did not miss any chance in sponsoring and in other times organizing anti-imperial, anti-globalization and anti-dictatorship activities.

The relatively young group took yet another decision that proved to be right: It did not open branches in universities that already have active leftist groups. This decision avoided the leftist movement further divisions and probably clashes.

Three years after its formation, Communist Students were successful on several levels. The group’s attempt proved to be logical and rational.

The group has also highlighted its willingness to avoid further divisions in the leftist movement’s rank and file. It therefore struck bridges of cooperation with other leftist groups. This supplement comes as the fruit of Communist Students cooperation with Leftist Alternative.

As time goes by, Communist Students will be facing several challenges. On top of these challenges come the ongoing rift with the LCP, which has pushed both Communist Students and the Forces of Democracy and Reform to challenge LCP’s authority anc contemplate forming a new “leftist current” that would “complement the party.

A federal union looks to be the most preferred model that figures of the Forces of Democracy and Reform may adopt.

Meanwhile, Communist Students are currently facing a nation wide trouble, the failure of most youth and parties’ movements including the leftist movement. But as far Communist Students is concerned, a merger between the several leftist groups in the country stay the group’s number one option.