[Marxism] New left party -- Power of the Masses Party -- formed in Philippines | Links

[glparramatta <glparramatta@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>]

By *Peter Boyle*

Manila, February 1, 2009 – More than a thousand people, including 920 
elected delegates, attended the inaugural congress of Partido Lakas ng 
Masa (literally "Power of the Masses Party") on January 30, 2009. They 
represented the mass organisations of workers, urban poor, peasants, 
students, street vendors, jeepney and tricycle drivers, women and senior 
citizens – a mass base estimated at 300,000 according to PLM leaders. 
The congress adopted a target of 1 million members in Manila and 2 
million in the country as a whole by 2010 (when presidential elections 
are due).

The slogan "PLM: A new party for our time, a party of change, a party of 
socialism" set a confident tone for the congress.

Sonny Melencio, who was elected chairperson of the PLM, describes the 
new party as a "combination mass movement and electoral party" that was 
inspired by the recent Latin American experiences which have put into 
power progressive and socialist parties in countries like Venezuela and 
Bolivia.

Full articles plus three-part video interview at 
http://links.org.au/node/893

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