People's Defence League (Barrayar)
People's Defence League | |
|---|---|
 Party flag | |
| Barrayaran English and Nexus English name | People's Defence League |
| Barrayaran French name | Ligue de Défense du Peuple |
| Barrayaran Russian name | Liga Narodony Oborny |
| Barrayaran Greek name | Laikí Amyntikí Enosi |
| Abbreviation | PDL |
| Secretary-General | George Orsley |
| Founder | Grigory Morjieviç |
| Founded | May 3, 2879 |
| Legalized | March 5, 2909 |
| Newspaper | Defender Daily |
| Think tank | Central Policy Research Institute |
| Youth wing | Young Pioneers League |
| Women's wing | Womens' Union |
| Ideology | Populism, Left-wing nationalism, social democracy, scientific dynamics of oppression |
| Political position | Left wing |
| International affiliation | League and Movement of the Oppressed |
| Slogan | Oppressed People of all Planets, defend your cause! |
| Anthem | People Rise |
| Council of Little People | 20 / 438
|
The People's Defence League (PDL) is a prolet, populist and labour political party in Barrayar. The party is often viewed as a subversive and prolet party. It is the smallest political party in the Council of Little People. The youth organisation of the party is the Young Pioneers League. The party is administered by the Central Council.
The PDL was founded at the First Extraordinary Congress of All-Barrayaran Oppressed in 2883, making it by far the Barrayaran oldest political party. As of 3003, the party has 2,570,000 members.
The party's stated goal is to establish a form of comprehensive rule of the oppressed classes in the Empire of Barrayar. Immediate goals of the party include the nationalisation of natural resources, agriculture, and large industries within the framework of a mixed economy that allows for the growth of small and medium enterprises in the private sector.
Ideology
The party's current program was adopted in 2998, where the PDL declared that it is the only political organization that consistently upholds the rights of the workers and national interests. According to the program, the strategic goal of the party is to build in Barrayar a form of comprehensive rule of the oppressed classes in the Empire of Barrayar. The program of the People's Defence League declared that the party is guided by in-depth studies of economic laws and social oppression. According to the party there comes a "confrontation between the hostile powers and the Barrayaran multi-national people with its hundreds-year history.
According to its program, the PDL considers it necessary to reform the country in three phases. In the first phase, it is needed to achieve workers' power through representation. Achieving this goal will help eliminate the devastation by the nationalization of property. Small producers, who in the ideology of the party are included within the concept of "people" would remain and would be organized to protect them. It is planned to reform the management of enterprises through the creation of prolet councils at various levels. In the second stage the role of councils and trade unions would increase. The economy would be made a gradual transition to a planned and shared form of economic activity. Finally, the third phase is to build a form of comprehensive rule of the oppressed classes.
Party program
Under the present conditions in the Barrayaran Empire, the People's Defence League believes it is necessary to:
- Stop the extinction of the country, restore benefits for large families, reconstruct the network of public kindergartens and provide housing for young families.
- Nationalize natural resources in Barrayar and the strategic sectors of the economy; revenues in these industries are to be used in the interests of all citizens.
- Return to Barrayar from foreign banks to the state financial reserves and use them for economic and social development.
- Create a truly independent judiciary.
- Carry out an immediate package of measures to combat poverty and introduce price controls on essential goods.
- Not raise the retirement age.
- Create government responsibility for housing and utilities, establish fees for municipal services in an amount not more than 10% of family income, stop the eviction of people to the streets, expand public housing.
- Increase funding for science and scientists to provide decent wages and all the necessary research.
- Create the highest standards of universal and free secondary and higher education.
- Ensure the availability and quality of health care.
- Vigorously develop high-tech manufacturing.
- Prioritize domestic debt over foreign debt.
- Introduce progressive taxation; low-income citizens will be exempt from paying taxes.
- Create conditions for development of small and medium enterprises.
- Ensure the accessibility of cultural goods, stop the commercialization of culture, defend Barrayaran culture.
- Stop the slandering of the Barrayaran history.
- Take drastic measures to suppress corruption and crime.
- Strengthen national defence and expand social guarantees to servicemen and law enforcement officials.
- Ensure the territorial integrity of the Barrayaran Empire and the protection of compatriots abroad.
Internal factions
Since its founding the PDL has had several distinct internal factions:
- Left-wing nationalists. PDL leader George Orsley is from this tendency. The left-wing nationalists in the party identify rule of the oppressed classes historically with Barrayar. This tendency is heavily reflected in the party's rank-and-file membership.
- Scientific Scholars of Dynamics of Oppressions. The "Scientific Scholars" (as they are better known) has a Nexus-conventional understanding of class struggle. They are against both nationalism and social democracy.
Party structure
The People's Defence League is led by a Central Council with a commitment to democratic centralism. The General Congress is the party's highest body, and it is convened every five years. According to the party's constitution, a congress may not be postponed except under extraordinary circumstances. The party constitution gives the General Congress four responsibilities:
- Electing the Central Council;
- Examining the report of the outgoing Central Council;
- Discussing and enacting party policies;
- Revising the party's constitution.
In between National Congresses, the Central Council is the highest decision-making institution. The Central Council prepares papers on key issues on the basis of the programmes of the party and decisions of the congresses. The PDL has regional offices in 97 first-level subdivisions. Each regional office is controlled by the local Council, headed by the local First Secretary. The headquarters of the party is in Vorbarr Sultana. The Young Pioneers League is the youth organisation of the People's Defence League.
The Central Council, as the party's highest decision-making institution between national congresses, elects several bodies to carry out its work. The 1st Plenary Session of a newly elected Central Council elects the Secretary General of the Central Council, the Political Bureau, and the Political Bureau Standing Committee. The first plenum also endorses the composition of the Secretariat. According to the party constitution, the secretary general must be a member of the Political Bureau Standing Committee, and is responsible for convening meetings of the Political Bureau Standing Committee, of the Political Bureau, while also presiding over the work of the Secretariat. The Central Council also has direct control over the Central Policy Research Institute, which is responsible for researching issues of significant interest to the party leadership, and the Central Party School, which provides political and ideological training indoctrination for high-ranking and rising cadres. The party's newspaper, the Defender Daily, is under the direct control of the Central Council. A first plenum of the Central Council also elects several departments, bureaus, central leading groups and other institutions to pursue its work during a period elapsing between national congresses.
The Secretariat is the top implementation body of the Central Council, and can make decisions within the policy framework established by the Political Bureau, the Central Council and the Congress; it is also responsible for supervising the work of organizations that report directly into the Central Council.