Why the IBRP Will Not Be Attending the ICC Congress

For the Record

Dear Comrades

In response to your letter inviting us to your next Congress, we are pleased to see that the ICC is abandoning its policy of demonisation and denunciation of the IBRP as “parasitic”, “sectarian”, etc. We welcome the re-establishment of what should have been the natural fraternal relationship between internationalists.

Nevertheless, our fundamental differences on method and perspectives remain, as the recent polemic on the work we are doing with the GLP demonstrates.

Now, to invite another political organisation to one’s own Congress is not simply an act of courtesy but has precise political significance. Given the history of our political relations over the past twenty years the only significance the invitation to your Congress could have is that of an hypothetical political convergence: a convergence which, however, does not exist.

We do not intend to discuss your “tactical” calculations, but we are amazed that you disregard this essential political fact and invite us to your Congress whilst insurmountable fundamental differences are more and more clearly emerging between us - even in the respective publications of our organisations.

Thus we must firmly decline an invitation which is in flagrant contradiction with the political reality of the period.

This does not exempt us from cordially wishing you the best of luck for your Congress, the documents of which you publish will be given our close attention.

Communist greetings

IBRP