BARELY a whiff of dissent disturbed the 23rd congress of the French Communist Party [PCF], which took place from 9 to 13 May.
After one of the stormiest years in the party's history following the defeat of the left, has the PCF now emerged strong united, as general secretary Marchals claimed?
Was It all a lot of fuss about What the 23rd congress in fact confirmed was that the PCF's commitment to democracy is only skin-deep. The taminess bi the dissidents had been bureaucratically coumnlicated round of section and federal conferences leading up to the election of delegates.
Furthermore, party's membership has now topped 700,040 on paper, man! are voling with thesr feel by refusing to take part in its internal life.
Some cells haven't met for intentine see a le pre-congress section confersupposedly elected by the cells. only 102 delegates out of 180 turned •up: in Essommes, only 70 mut of 110.
But none of this was reflected Only the leudership elections at the end of the congress gave some indication of the internal problems Former rising star Jacques Chambaz whe failed in his appointed task of keeping the party's intellectuals in line, wasn't re-elected to the political bureau.
And among those dropped from the central committee was Francols Hincker — editor of he party's theoretical journal Nouvelle Critique, given a limited volce to some PCF dissidents.
Hincker is also one of thi thors of a recent book, Thi USSR and US. which Soviet bureaucrucy.
The PC's attitude to the USSR became in fact controversial point in the weeks