Summary
In the PFLP’s Strategy, the basic principle of relations within the revolutionary party, on which all revolutionary parties that have led this age’s revolutions were established: democracy — members’ protected rights of knowledge, discussion and criticism, collective leadership, and the members’ power to change leaderships — combined with centralization — the minority’s submission to the majority, subsidiary ranks’ submission to the higher ranks, and the leadership’s absolute power during execution (Strategy for the Liberation of Palestine, PDF p.139-146).
Details
- Democracy without centralization is said to result in complete anarchy, digression and lack of discipline, paralysing the party; democracy is to become a revolutionary human life pattern — open forums, comradely relations, no responsibility converted into material or moral privilege — before it assumes the form of regulations (PDF p.142-144).
- On execution: “When execution begins democracy ends”, giving way to obedience, discipline and full submission to instructions, without which the highly disciplined party capable of prosecuting a hard and long liberation war cannot be built (PDF p.145).
- The principles emanating from it include collective leadership, no ideological contradictions and factions within the revolutionary party, individuals’ submission to the Organization, and all party branches’ submission to the central committee; they determine the internal regulation, powers, responsibilities, penalties and rewards (PDF p.146).
Related pages
Strategy for the Liberation of Palestine, Marxism-Leninism, Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine