Worker-communist Party of Iran

The Worker-communist Party of Iran (Persian: حزب کمونیست کارگری ایران‎, romanized: hezb-e kommunist-e kârgari-ye Irân) is a political party founded in 1991 that seeks the overthrow of the Islamic Republic of Iran and the establishment of a Socialist Republic in its place. The party's primary slogans are "Liberty, Equality, Workers' Rule", "Down with the Islamic Republic", "For a Socialist Republic" and "The Basis of Socialism is the Human Being".

Worker-communist Party of Iran
ChairpersonHamid Taqvaee
FounderMansoor Hekmat
Founded1991 (1991)
Membership (2008)250[1]
IdeologyCommunism
Workerist Marxism
Third camp
Political positionFar-left
Website
WPIran.org
Islamic Republic of Iran
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WPI owns a 24-hour TV station called New Channel, which broadcasts mainly in Persian, but includes some programming in English, Kurdish and Azeri Turkish. The Communist Youth Organization is the youth wing of WPI. The organization's current leader is Hamid Taqvaee. Other important members include Mostafa Saber, Mina Ahadi, Azar Majedi, and Maryam Namazie.

Status

WPI is banned in Iran, as are other parties opposed to the Islamic Republic. It nevertheless boasts members in worker, student and other sections of Iranian society. The party maintains a presence in Western countries; having official organizations in Germany, the UK, Sweden, Netherlands, Norway, France, Finland, Denmark and Canada. It also has members in the United States, Turkey and Pakistan, and others. Using these countries as a base, the WPI works with the Iranian community to further its immediate aims to overthrow the Islamic Republic.

History

Foundation

WPI was formed in 1991 after some members of the Communist Party of Iran left to form a new party. The main founder and leader of the party was Mansoor Hekmat, who died in 2002. The founding declaration of the party has four signatures: Mansoor Hekmat, Koorosh Modarresi, Reza Moghadam and Iraj Azarin. The latter three individuals have since left the party.

Debate on leadership

After the death of Mansoor Hekmat in 2002, there was a debate in the party over whether a new leader should be announced or not. This led to the formation of two factions, one centred on Hamid Taghvayee, who was defending "Collective Leadership", the other around Koroosh Modaressi who believed that party should choose a leader immediately. The Central Committee subsequently voted for immediate election of a leader. Taqvaee and Modaressi nominated themselves and Koroosh Modaressi was chosen.

During the 4th Congress of Party, Modaressi did not nominate himself for leadership again saying that he would like stand down in favor of Hamid Taqvaee who, as the only candidate, was then appointed automatically.

Major split in August 2004

The leadership debates eventually led to the exodus of more than half of the members of Central Committee and most of the Kurdistan Committee in August 2004. The defectors chose the leadership of Koroosh Modaressi, who was then Chairperson of the Political Bureau. This move was supported by the leadership of the Worker-Communist Party of Iraq. Together they formed a new party called the Worker-Communist Party of Iran-Hekmatist. They claim to be closer to the ideas of Mansoor Hekmat, though this is denied by the leadership of the WPI, who declared themselves to be the real followers of Hekmat's ideas.

The conflict between the two parties is still ongoing and the WPI leadership sometimes sarcastically refer to the WPI-H as 'anti-Hekmatist'. In return the WPI-H claim that WPI represents a retreat to the "traditional left" and is a "populist" party.

Publications and papers

The WPI's main newspaper is Anternasional (in Persian, International), an eight-page Persian publication which is published every Friday. However, the party is also responsible for the following publications:

  • Javânân-e Kommunist (in Persian:Communist Youth), published every Tuesday (in Persian) this is the official paper of the Communist Youth Organisation;
  • WPI Briefing,[2] an official publication in English. Similar papers are also published in German and Dutch.
  • Kârgar-e Kommunist (The Communist Worker), which mainly covers workers' issues.
  • Workers in Iran, an English newsletter concerning the latest news from the workers' movement in Iran.
  • Iskra, a Persian paper published by the WPI Kurdistan Committee.

In March 2006 the WPI started a theoretical journal named Be Su-ye Sosialism (in Persian: به سوی سوسیالیسم Toward Socialism). The first issue was published in October 2008.

Participation in allied groups and campaigns

Since the establishment of the party, WPI members and cadres have created and joined many organisations and campaigns on different issues. Such organisations are usually very close to the party. These are as follows:

  • The Communist Youth Organisation.
  • The International Federation of Iranian Refugees, known as Hambastegi (solidarity) is a vast organisation that was formed before the establishment of WPI but today is close to party. IFIR is struggling for refugees' rights, especially those who come from Iran. IFIR has a weekly paper in Persian named Hambastegi Haftegi (Weekly Solidarity) and a monthly paper (also in Persian) named Hambastegi Mahane (Monthly Solidarity).
  • Children First Now emerged from Children First (which was formed by Mansoor Hekmat and Soraya Shahabi) and is a campaign for children's rights in Iran. It publishes a Persian paper called Koodakan Moqadamand (Children are Precedent).
  • The Marx Society of London was formed By Mansoor Hekmat and Koroosh Modarresi after a long series of debates following the major split in the WPI in August 2004. It is working closely with WPI. The Society concentrates on theoretical issues in Marxism. Other Marx Societies (also close to WPI) have been formed in other countries, such as Canada.
  • Anjomane Zede din (Anti-Religion Society) is a secularist group formed in August 2005. it is very close to WPI and has its own paper, called in Persian, Sekolar.

Sister parties

The Leftist Worker-Communist Party of Iraq (LWPI) which was formed in 2004 after the major split in the WPI. It is a sister party to WPI. The LWPI's Current Leader, Osam Shukri, is a member of Central Committee and politburo of WPI.

References
  1. "Verfassungsschutz-bericht 2008" [Annual Report on the Protection of the Constitution] (PDF), Bundesamt für Verfassungsschutz (in German), p. 299, 2008, ISSN 0177-0357, archived from the original (PDF) on 16 February 2015
  2. http://www.wpibriefing.com
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