 | This articleneeds additional citations forverification. Please helpimprove this article byadding citations to reliable sources. Unsourced material may be challenged and removed. Find sources: "Communist Party of Malta" – news ·newspapers ·books ·scholar ·JSTOR(January 2023) (Learn how and when to remove this message) |
Communist Party of Malta Partit Komunista Malti | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Abbreviation | PKM |
| General Secretary | Victor Degiovanni |
| Founder | Anthony Vassallo |
| Founded | 1969 (1969) |
| Split from | Malta Labour Party |
| Headquarters | 28/8 Vincenti Buildings, Triq Id-Dejqa,Valletta |
| Newspaper | Proletarjat (1977-1979)Żminijietna (1983-1989) |
| Youth wing | Young Communist League |
| Ideology | |
| Political position | Far-left |
| European affiliation | INITIATIVE |
| International affiliation | IMCWP |
| Colors | Red |
| Slogan | Workers of the world, unite! |
| Website | |
| communistpartymalta | |
Communist Party of Malta (Maltese:Partit Komunista Malti) is acommunist party inMalta. PKM was founded in 1969 at a secret congress in the town ofGwardamangia, following the departure from theMalta Labour Party of a group of left-wing militants that had been active in the struggle for national independence.[1] Anthony Vassallo was the founding general secretary of the party.[1] The party first contested thenational general elections of 1987 when it obtained 0.1% offirst preference votes and no parliamentary seats.[2] Since then it has not stood for any other election whether at a European, national or local level.[3]
The current general secretary of the party is Victor Degiovanni, who took over the post from Anthony Vassallo in 2004.[4]
In the 1920s secret communist cells existed; however they have always been small in number. After the 1933 sedition trials[5] dockyard workers and intellectuals were imprisoned for the "crime" of possessing socialist literature. Progressive movements have faced large setbacks due to the sedition trials. Maltese communists militated either in thePartito Comunista Italiano (English:Italian Communist Party), in theCommunist Party of Great Britain orworked undercover within theMalta Labour Party. Maltese Communists did not have their own party before the secret congress in the town ofGwardamangia in 1969.
AfterGeorge Borg Olivier's administration was defeated the PKM officially went into the open. The PKM organised protests and meetings as well as commemorations to Maltese working class figures in support of emancipation such asManwel Dimech. According to the US intelligence department by 1970 PKM's membership was around 100[6] members. The PKM also takes part in international seminars. It has positive relations with theWorkers' Party of Korea and aJuche study group called The Juche Philosophy andSongun Policy Study Group.[7]
The party has collaborated with the left-wingnon-governmental organisationMoviment Graffitti, who used to hold meetings at the Communist Party headquarters in Valletta. In 2016, the two groups published a joint statement appealing for a reformation of the neutrality clause in theConstitution of Malta to ban warships from all countries from docking in Maltese ports.[8]
PKM participates in Maltese politics by campaigning in joint-solidarity with international issues and talk about local issues.
| Election | Leader | Seats contested | Votes | % | Seats | Rank | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1987[9] | Anthony Vassallo | 0 / 69 | 119 | 0.1 | 0 / 69 | 4th | Extra-parliamentary |
