TROTSKYIST LEADERS DISCUSS WORLD SITUATION. °
The International Executive Committee of the Fourth International, elected by the 1963 Reunification Congress, held a plenary meeting in Switzerland at. the end of May. It was- attended ‘by twenty~ four members and alternates and four observers,
- Af report on the activities of the Fourth International since the Reunification Congress was given by Comrade Pierre Frank,’ A counter report was given by Comrade M, Pablo, Frank's report was adopted by a vote of fifteen for and four opposed,
Comrade Livio Maitan gave a general political report and presented an analysis of the world situation which will be printed in the next issue of Quatridme Internationale and other publications. | of the Trotskyist movement in various languages.
A lively discussion followed this report. Key points inoluded the increasing social and economic. contradictions flowing from the growth of automation in the USA; the tension observable in several workers states between the bureaucracy and.the-vanguard of .the workers and intellectuals seeking socialist democracy; the now advances made by the African. revolution, particularly the problems posed by the latest developments ‘in the Angolan struggles the latest develop ments in the Sino-Soviet eonflict and the present. situation in Ceylon,
On the latter question, the members of the Committee discussed the governmental crisis in Ceylon which opens up promising possibilities for a new advance towards the establishment of a workers and peasants. government, -A report was made on the coalition overtures ~ advanced by the government party, the SLFP [Sri Lanka Freedom Party ~- Holy ‘Ceylon Freedom Party], to the LSSP [Lanka Sama-Samaja Party =~ ~~ Ceylon Equal Society Party], Ceylonese section of the Fourth Inter- . national, The members of the International Executive Committee expressed unanimous opposition to any coalition in which the LSSP would serve in the role of captive to the bourgeoisie. A coalition of that kind, it was held, would mean in practice that the LSSP would be associated with the bankruptcy of the present government and the slashing of social services which offers the only way out of the present financial crisis unless the framework of capitalism is breached, The IEC called on the LSSP to counterpose to these proposals.a vigorous campaign for a United Left Front government on the basis of a socialist program that would signify a break with imperialism and capitalism in Ceylon,
~ The general line of the political report was adopted unanimously by the Committee,
A report on the situation in Latin America following the mili-+ tary coup d'état in Brazil was given by Comrade E. Germain, This opened a discussion on the causes of the coup, the responsibilities for it and the lessons to be drawn, Special emphasis was given to
the new dangers it-raises for the Cuban Revolution and- the mass movement in Chile,
‘It was decided to address’ an appeal to all communists, social~ ists and other revolutionists in Latin America concerning the meaning of the events in