The Workers’ Communist Party of Denmark (APK) is the communist party of the Danish working class.
In their battle against capital, the working people will only achieve results when they fight this battle on the basis of their own interests and increasingly free themselves from bourgeois influence. Whereas bourgeois parties seek to harness the working people to foreign objectives, the aim of the APK is to ensure that they set in motion themselves for their own interests.
The APK considers itself an instrument of the working class. It participates in the different struggles of the working people and all progressive forces, and in these struggles it endeavours, without depending on the special interests of any particular group, to bring to manifestation the general interests of the working class.
At the different stages of development of the class struggle, the Party stands up for the interests of the whole movement. It has no special interests in regards the working class. It elaborates a line for the class struggle in defence of the interests of the class and the great majority against the capitalist offensive, in defence of their political, social and economic rights. It works for the secession of Denmark from the European Union, NATO and other imperialist organisms, and for peace, independence, international solidarity and friendship among the peoples.
Only a socialist society is able to safeguard and secure the fundamental interests of the working people. The objective of the Party is to organize the working class as a class, destroy imperialism, overthrow the bourgeoisie from power and establish the state of the working class, that is, a socialist Denmark under the rule of the working class, without exploitation and private ownership of the means of production. Ultimately, the objective is communism throughout the whole world.
The communist party of the working class is a voluntary organization of conscious revolutionaries, based on an ideological, political and organizational unity in regards its programme, line and objective.
Influence from the class society has a constant effect on the communist party, comprising the division between the leading and executive activity. The APK can only maintain its character as a communist party if it continuously counteracts this detrimental influence within its own ranks and combats bureaucracy, liberalism and other similar manifestations.
Externally, it will only be able to promote the independent activities of the workers if it internally works to unfold the independent work of every member. The Party does not need members who blindly obey orders, but it needs conscious comrades, men and women, who actively participate in forming the policies of the Party, who independently reflect on the most important questions of the class struggle and the political work of the Party, and who are able to act on their own. Leaderships and basic organizations must organize and carry out the party work in such a way that the members constantly become better at just this.
In order to be able to stand up to the task of fighting capital and reaction, discipline within the ranks of the Party is necessary – the discipline of conscious class fighters. This discipline is binding on all members, including party functionaries. Its precondition is the open discussion and the free exchange of ideas of all party members concerning all questions of the party work.
Like the open opinion struggle, criticism and self-criticism are absolutely necessary to the development of the APK. The discussion is not an end in itself, but aims at bringing about the unity of will and action within the APK.
Factions, formation of cliques, tied mandates and other forms of cultivating regional or special interests are not permitted.
When a question has been thoroughly discussed, and a decision has been made, all members must carry out that decision. The correctness of the decision must then be tried in practice. Only in this way will wrong decisions consciously be overcome and annulled, and only in this way will the APK gradually mature and continuously improve its ability of combining scientific socialism with the working class.
The participation of the individual member in the collective does not mean that the member has to give up anything of his or her individuality. On the contrary, it is his or her positive qualities and skills, which have to be encouraged and developed.
At all levels in the APK, the principle holds that the collective stands solidarily by the side of the individual member and that the individual member does not decide on important questions of the party work without the consent of the collective. Errors and shortcomings of the individual comrades, basic organizations and leaderships are criticized solidarily, openly and without false idealisation for the purpose of improving the work of the Party.
In its social composition, the APK is first of all a party of the male and female workers. First and foremost, it addresses the lowest and most oppressed and exploited strata of the proletariat.
The APK has the objective that all members participate in the class struggle, fight for the realization of the party decisions, are ready to make sacrifices for the working class and the Party, and little by little acquire the ability to apply Marxism-Leninism in solving the current tasks of the class struggle and the party work.
The APK fights shoulder to shoulder with the Marxist-Leninist parties, organizations and forces all across the world and supports the struggle of the international proletariat and the peoples oppressed by imperialism. It is part of the international Marxist-Leninist communist movement, which is composed of independent and equal parties.
The foundation and guideline of the APK is Marxism-Leninism, the scientific theory of Marx, Engels, Lenin and Stalin.
Essentially, Marxism-Leninism – scientific socialism – is not a completed doctrine. It is the revolutionary view of the world and the method of realizing and changing the world, and in this sense the APK applies it in solving the problems of the class struggle and the revolution in the interest of all working and progressive people.
I. Party Membership
Everyone, who acknowledges the party programme and statutes, works in a basic organization of the Party and regularly pays the established membership fee, can become a member of the APK.
1. The Rights of the Party Members:
- In his or her basic organization to participate in the discussion of all questions concerning the policies of the Party, to put forth proposals there and in all internal party assemblies, and to freely express his or her opinion.
- To demand a written stand on the problems of the class struggle and the party work presented to all members.
- In the party organs to put forward criticism of the work of party members and functionaries, no matter their position.
- To use his or her vote actively and passively in electing assemblies of delegates, including party congresses, and party leaderships.
- To be personally present when his or her party organization considers his or her relations or activity, or makes a decision about these.
- To approach in all matters any of the higher organs of the APK as well as the Central Control Commission of the Party, posing questions, putting forth proposals or making statements about specific problems to these same entities.
2. Admission to the APK
Admission to the APK takes place individually. Anyone, who has completed his or her seventeenth year and lives in Denmark, can become a member of the APK, independent of his or her nationality.
Anyone, who wishes to become a member, sends a membership application to the basic organization concerned. The application is accompanied by recommendations from two party members. The basic organization decides on admission with two thirds of all member votes.
Where there does not exist a basic organization of the Party, the membership application is sent to the superior leadership concerned, which then decides about admission.
Admission as a full member of the APK normally happens after a period of candidature of one year. In exceptional cases, the period of candidature can be shortened to three months or prolonged up to two years. The basic organization decides on the admission of a candidate member as a full member with a two-third majority.
The period of candidature is a period where the candidate member and the Party get to know each other better, before a decision on full membership is made. All candidate members have the right to the special support of the basic organization for the development of him or her. Schooling in Marxism-Leninism is ensured.
In the period of candidature, the candidate member enjoys all members’ rights, except the right to elect, to be elected, and to vote. In exceptional cases, the candidate member can be entrusted functions in the basic organization if its members decide it.
All decisions of the basic organization on member admission or rejection are reported to the superior leadership.
Individuals, who have been in leading positions of bourgeois, reformist or revisionist parties or trade unions, are only admitted to the Party after the approval of the Central Committee.
People, who from a class point of view belong to the bourgeoisie or work in its apparatus of violence, can only be admitted to the Party according to an exemption from the Central Committee.
3. Cessation of Party Membership and Party Sanctions
Party membership ceases with resignation or expulsion.
Any person, who still go along with the fundamental objectives of the APK, but who does not want to be a member any longer because of personal reasons, can despite his or her resignation still maintain a friendly relation and cooperation with the Party, e.g. as being organized in one of the sympathizer forums of the Party.
Anyone, who in a weighty way or repeatedly violates the decisions of the APK, who does not respect the inner party democracy, who abuses his or her membership and/or positions of trust, whose fundamental attitude damages the esteem of the APK, or who in a weighty way or repeatedly does not behave as a communist in his or her personal life, must be hold responsible for this by the basic organization or by a higher party leadership.
About this, party sanctions can be decided; ranging from a warning, removal from party functions, transition to candidate status to the expulsion of the APK.
Expulsion occurs to members who do not any longer comply with the conditions of membership, that is, to factionalists and careerists, to members whose fundamental attitude is incompatible with the objectives of the APK, and to members who have retreated under the attacks of reaction and capital and therefore have caused considerable damage to the APK.
Expulsion from the APK is the severest party sanction. Before deciding on expulsion from the APK, great caution must be shown and a careful investigation of the accusations against the member must be ensured.
Expulsion from the APK and the infliction of another kind of party sanction are discussed by the basic organization of the member concerned and decided by a two-third majority. In special cases, the superior leaderships have the right to decide on expulsion from the APK or to impose another party sanction. The reasons for this must be presented to the basic organization.
A member has the right to be personally present before any party sanction against him or her are made, unless this conflicts with the security of the Party. The member concerned has the right to be heard and to express his or her view on the accusations.
A decision on expulsion must be communicated to the member concerned, including the reasons for it.
A basic organization cannot initiate party sanctions against a member of a party leadership. If the basic organization considers party sanctions necessary, it has the right and the duty to inform the party leadership to which the member concerned belongs. The party leadership is under an obligation to inform the basic organization about its decision and the reasons for it. If the basic organization does not agree with the decision, it can inform the Central Control Commission, which can enjoin the party leadership to discuss the question again and then make a decision.
It is possible to object to any party sanction, including expulsion, and appeal it to the Central Control Commission, which then considers the appeal and makes a decision about it. The Central Control Commission immediately informs the member concerned when it has received the appeal. If the Central Control Commission does not confirm a party sanction within three months after the appeal, this is considered annulled until the Central Control Commission makes a decision.
A formerly expelled member can be readmitted after a certain period of time if he or she in this period has shown that he or she again meets the conditions of party membership. Readmittance takes place according to a decision made by the Central Committee and with the consent of the Central Control Commission.
If a party organ, after having expelled a member, finds that the expulsion was not correct, it must, according to an agreement made with the Central Committee or the Central Control Commission, restore the full members’ rights to the member concerned. In all other cases, the restoration of full members’ rights, necessary because of an unjustified expulsion, is discussed and decided by the Central Control Commission, which before deciding must consult the Central Committee.
4. Party Functionaries
The party functionaries and party members holding positions of trust do not enjoy any special privileges. Party functionaries receive a salary according to their needs. However, their salary must not exceed the average salary of the workers organized in the Danish Confederation of Trade Unions (LO).
The parliamentary work of the Party is lead by its elected leaderships. Candidates are nominated on the basis of discussions in the party organizations.
If a member, because of his or her parliamentary or trade union posts, receives a salary or other forms of income, these go to the Party, which pays the member concerned in line with the other party functionaries. If this principle is violated, the ones responsible must be called to account through a party sanction.
II. Democratic Centralism
The organizational principle of the Party is democratic centralism. This means:
- That all party leaderships are elected democratically, that the leaderships at all levels are elected by the members of the organism that they shall lead, and that they can be removed at any time.
- That the elected party organs must regularly inform the forums, which have elected them, as well as the higher organs of the Party.
- That decisions are made with a simple majority after a free exchange of opinions, and that the minority submit to the majority in every party organ.
- That all decisions, which are made by higher party organs, are binding on all lower party organs.
The inner party democracy gives every member the right, within the party organization, to take a stand on all questions of the policy of the APK.
Every party organ is bound to practise criticism and self-criticism because these ensure the sound development and strengthening of the APK and are inseparable parts of the inner party democracy.
Every party organ and every party member protect the inner party democracy against forces hostile to the Party and fight for the unity of the APK on the basis of Marxism-Leninism and the interests of the working class.
Elections take place after a cadre assessment of the nominated candidates. In the election, every member of the party assembly concerned has the right to raise objections against the nominated candidates and to nominate other candidates. The nominated candidates are discussed one by one. Nomination of candidates en bloc is not allowed. The voting is secret.
Factional activity inside the APK is not allowed because it undermines the unity of the Party and ultimately always leads to attempts from a part of the Party to force its will on the whole party by using undemocratic methods, tricks and manipulations instead of arguments. Any grouping within the APK, which hinders the implementation of decisions or has the objective to hinder the implementation of decisions, constitutes a faction. Any attempt of uniting parts of the Party outside the party organs in order to purposefully and organizationally influence the decision-making of the APK is factional activity.
It is factional activity when organizational agreements are made outside the party organs in preparation for a planned common stand in the inner party discussion or for influencing the elections and voting in the Party. Furthermore, factional activity is: attempting to make agreements within the party organizations whose objective are to bind the stands of party members at party congresses or delegate conferences, making agreements in the lower party organs on binding the stands of party members in higher party organs, or making agreements in a daily leadership on binding the stands of its members in plenum.
The party members protect the unity of the APK and the inner party democracy against attempts of faction making and inform, if necessary, a superior leadership or a control commission, which must immediately inform the Central Committee.
The critical discussion of the problems of the party work among the party members, also outside the party organizations, is not factional activity, but is a normal exercise of the inner party democracy.
III. The Party Organs
The party organs are constituted of the basic organizations, the member and delegate conferences at all levels, including the party congress, of the leaderships at all levels, their daily leaderships and the Central Control Commission.
1. The Basic Organization
The organizational basis of the Party is the basic organization. All members and candidate members are organized in a basic organization.
Basic organizations are formed in all major work places, in cities and quarters, where there are at least three full members of the Party. If there are less than three full members, there can be formed a party group after a higher party organ has decided it, consisting of full members and candidate members.
Normally once a year, the basic organization constitutes itself with a chairman, a deputy chairman, if deemed necessary, and a treasurer.
The basic organization organizes the participation of its members and candidate members in the struggles of the working people in their area. It endeavours to mobilise them on the basis of their own interests in the struggle against the bourgeoisie and to combine this struggle with the fundamental interest of the working class – the overthrow of the capitalist exploiting system. It seeks to win new members and sympathizers to the APK and the democratic mass organizations, first and foremost on the basis of the interests of the struggle of the working people.
The basic organization supports the members and candidate members in presenting and propagating the views of the APK, especially in the personal sphere of the comrades.
The basic organization makes its members and candidate members familiar with the fundamental decisions and line of the APK. It organizes a living discussion on the most important questions of the class struggle and the party work. It endeavours to make the members and candidate members able to apply Marxism-Leninism independently in the solution of problems. It works to ensure that every single member and candidate member feel responsible for the entire party, for the development of its line and policy. It supports, according to its ability, the superior and central tasks of the APK, especially the work with the nationwide central organ.
The basic organization helps its members and candidate members to behave like communists, also in their personal life, and to solve difficult personal problems. It organizes an effective solidarity with destitute comrades and with comrades who are persecuted by the class enemy.
The basic organization takes the necessary measures to protect the APK and its organizational connections against the attacks from reaction and capital.
2. The Party Congress
The highest authority of the Party is the congress. Ordinary congress is held every third year and is called at least at two month’s notice.
Extraordinary congress can be held when the Central Committee finds it necessary or when it is demanded by at least one third of the delegates of the previous congress or by one third of the party members. Every party member has the right to claim an extraordinary convocation of the congress, substantiating it in a written internal party declaration. The extraordinary congress is called at least at two week’s notice.
The party congress consists of delegates elected by the basic organizations.
The Central Committee decides the criteria and the distribution key of the congress delegates. The members of the retiring Central Committee and Central Control Committee participate at the congress. If they have not been elected as congress delegates, they only participate at the congress with the right of speaking and consultative right of voting.
The congress discusses the reports of the retiring Central Committee and Central Control Commission and makes decisions about them. It discusses, decides and revises the party programme and statutes. Changes of the statutes demand a two-third majority. The congress discusses the political line of the Party and makes general decisions on the future work. The congress lays down the number of members of the Central Committee and the Central Control Commission and elects these organs. A member of the Central Committee cannot be a member of the Central Control Commission. If possible, the congress, in electing the Central Committee, shall take into consideration that a part of the members of the Central Committee is renewed. Likewise, the Central Committee, in electing the Secretariat after the congress, shall try to renew a part of its members.
3. The Central Committee
Between the congresses, the Central Committee constitutes the highest authority of the Party and directs its political and organizational activity. It holds plenums at least four times a year. A plenum must be held when it is demanded by at least one third of the members of the Central Committee. The candidate members of the Central Committee participate in the plenums with consultative right of voting.
The Central Committee constitutes itself with a daily leadership, the Secretariat, and elects the chairman of the Party among the members of the Secretariat.
Between the meetings of the Central Committee, the authority of the Central Committee is exercised by the Secretariat.
It is the duty of the Central Committee to inform the party members regularly about its policy on fundamental questions, to obtain the opinions of the members and discuss them seriously, to respond to party criticisms of its work in a suitable manner and to publish internally the criticisms on fundamental questions.
At any time, the Central Committee can remove members of the Secretariat or the chairman. Every member of the Central Committee can propose this at any time and no disciplinary sanctions can be made for this.
This division between the Central Committee and the Secretariat has an important function in the inner party democracy and in countering the separation of the leading and executive activity. By this, it must be ensured that also members of the Central Committee, who do not work primarily in the central apparatus, decide on the policy of the Party. It is necessary continuously to fight the spontaneously active tendency of the Secretariat of placing itself above the Central Committee in practice, as well as the tendency of the committees and organs under the Central Committee of becoming autonomous. The Central Committee must under no circumstances degenerate into an appendage to the Secretariat. It must work collectively. The opinion of every member of the Central Committee must be taken equally seriously.
If a member of the Central Committee falls away, a candidate member of the Central Committee, elected at the congress, is elected. The Central Committee is under certain circumstances entitled to co-opt new candidate members for supplementation and enlargement. Such candidate members are not elected as members of the Central Committee. This principle also holds for leaderships at lower levels.
The Central Committee manages the assets of the Party and administers the central economy. It is responsible of ensuring a sound economic development with a running in balance and with good solidity.
The Central Committee publishes the central organ of the Party, its theoretical organ and the internal party organ.
4. The Central Control Commission
The Central Control Commission controls that the Central Committee realizes the decisions of the party congress and that the entire party works on the basis of the party programme and statutes and the decisions of the congress. It protects the unity of the Party and promotes the Party’s capacity of resisting the attacks of reaction and capital.
It can independently examine and raise problems, elaborate proposals for revolutionizing the Party, and raise problems to the Central Committee. It proposes precautions against deviations from the programme and statutes to the leaderships and the basic organizations and draws the attention of the Party to possible principle deviations from Marxism-Leninism. It attacks all tendencies to bureaucracy and liberalism within the Party.
The Central Control Commission works to maintain and strengthen the communist party norms and to ensure that the security policy of the Party is respected.
It works to ensure that the Party is and remains an instrument of the working class; it counteracts the danger to the Party that it removes and detaches itself from the working class and its interests and seeks to make these instruments of the Party.
In this way, it counteracts factional activity and fights factionalism if or when it appears.
It receives all criticisms that are raised against the Central Committee. It can participate in all meetings of all party forums and get its matter on the agenda. It can demand and carry out an extraordinary convocation of the congress when its majority finds that the Central Committee is violating the congress decisions or the fundamental norms and principles of the APK in a serious manner.
It is responsible of the central revision and has the right, at any time and unannounced, to control the economic activity of the party leaderships and committees.
The Central Control Commission constitutes itself with a chairman, and, if convenient, with a deputy chairman as well. It holds meetings at least three times a year.
5. Other Party Organs
The country is divided into districts whose geographical boundaries are decided by the Central Committee. At the yearly district conference, where all party members in the district are under obligation to attend, a district committee is elected. Such member or delegate conferences constitute the highest organs at all levels below the congress and the Central Committee.
The task of the district committee is to ensure that the work of the Party develops according to the decisions of the Party and to direct its total activity in the district. It must support the work of the basic organizations and the united action of the collective in the district.
The district committee elects a chairman and, as required, a daily leadership. In the relation between the district committee and the daily leadership, the same rules hold as in the corresponding relation between the Central Committee and the Secretariat.
The leadership, which is responsible for a certain area, constitutes a higher leadership compared with the leaderships that are responsible for parts of this area.
6. The Youth Organization
The Communist Youth League of Denmark (DKU) is the youth organization of the APK. It is an independent communist organization, which works on the basis of its own programme, statutes and decisions made in its competent organs.
The APK and its basic organizations and members support the development of the youth organization.
Between the Party and the youth organization, there is mutual representation on the level of central committee.
IV. The Economy of the Party
The economy of the Party is based on independence. The Party rejects getting party subsidies from the bourgeois state, making itself dependent on public funds.
The economic means of the APK consist of the membership fee that forms the solid basis of the activity of the Party. In addition to this, they constitute of contributions to the fighting fund, means from collections and from the running of its activities.
The Central Committee fixes the amount of the monthly membership fee.
By the property of the Party is meant the economic assets of the Party and its real estates, furniture, accessories, etc., which have been bought for the means of the Party or have been turned over to the Party by members or groups of members.
All economic agreements must be clear and written.
Adopted at the Founding Congress of the Workers’ Communist Party of Denmark (APK), held in Copenhagen from the 21st to the 23rd of April 2000.
