take By A.Hamzeh IRAN's Islamic regime cancelled its previously announced plans for a democratically elected constituent assembly last week. This lafest and potentially the most dangerous attack by the Khomeini-Bazargan government on the gains made by the Iranian masses as the result of the overthrow of the Shah's regime in February.
Instead of democratically proposing to set up an apponted body of 40 CUUNELLUCEL assembly the people to discuss the new constitution, which soems already to have been drafted.
Once the new constitution is ready it will be submitted for "public discussion'. then be a referendum which, Islanie Kepublic. ikely government and the Moslem clergy using the full weight of the state apparatus and the mass media to push tbrough their position without even pretending to give critics and opponents a chance to express their views.
The reason is obvious: the government's fear of growing mass disenchantment with the new Islamic Republic.
Workers who made insurrection possible through their massive senenal strike are nOw unemployment and altempts by the lemman Committees to militarise cheir factories and over their anions, Women who came out bravely throughout last year at the head of the mass mobilisations Shah have been attempts to force them back under the veil and into the home.
Oppressed nationalities who were among the fiercest opponents of the Shah have had to face tanks and helicoprer gun-ships when they have called for autonomy. First it was the turn TSEEBCH Khomeini enormous prestige.
elected government is There wil like that on the to sec the were threatened.
the country's to this the the February faced national Placed Oil has no solution of the Kurds, then the Turkomans, and now the Arasants whosaw the revolution as a chance to seize back land taken from them under the former regime have faced arracks from It would be wrong to assume that the prestige. Widespread Busons Mill has already lost exist arong the masses. But at the same time a clear change in mood is taking place. There is less enthusins for the utopian dream of un "Islamie socicty , and increasingiy the masses are beginning to look for alternatives, One recent example of this change of mood was the victory of the left in the confrontation with Khomeini over press freedom. attempted to close down the leftist daily paper Ayandeyan by calling for a boycott. Gangi of thuns attacked the paper's offices in a number of towns, and newspaper sellers who sold it Bur mass support meant that fortnight's closure Ayandegan was able to restart publication, and it immodiately becume most popular circulation of nearly one million.
sales of Kayhan country's most popular daily have dropped catastropbically since pro-Khomeini journalists recently staged a coup purging all the Jeftist Journalists on the editorial board.
The government realised chat elections for a constituent assembly would ust as a major focus for the grOWIng discontent. It would mean public debate anc discussion of many problems which it has been trying to brush under the carpet and to which The government would also have to end the present ncither-legal-nor-iBegn] eft organisations by cither banning them o recognising their legal status by slowing them bare minimum. opposition.
The Lawyers DOE 4 conteren and liberal organisations the pro-Peking Sazman Enghelabi doubt follow prescot authorities fail to intercats will also CELSIUSL Khomeini head soon despite the recent calm. In Kurdestan.
after a with a In contrast despite threats by the government. once the HEN IOT the future masses say no to any attempts hierarchy or anyone else to MESS future for them Socialist (tbe Socialist starl Icoming ever clearer., non-elected assembly and a referendum as the way to preserve a semblance of democrac) while actually reducing democratic EEDSE around the future course of the country to a But already it faces Association, which wals at the tiem announcement, immediately passed a strong exception of the pro-Moscow Tudeh Party and will no suit and launch a vigorous campaign on this issue. Many workers who are increasing/y conscious of the faet that the represent their the opposition The oppressed nationalities who have been demanding that the country's new constitution should grant them autonomy will do likewise. Al the moment Arabs demanding autonomy in the south west are in bitter violent conflict with government forces. The situation in Kurdestan and Turkumansahra is also likely to come to a 'bere Kurdish forces continue to hold most ol the region, the Kurdish leader Shellh Husseini has threatened to cinte nee aaseter in turkomansn the Turkoman farmers have said that they will go ahead and harvest crops which they have seized back from members of the former regime democratically elected constituent assembly is going to be crucial for development of the Iranian revolution. Around thit struggle the oppressed workers, oppressed nationnlities. peasents and wonen — can begin to unite to by the. religious determine their The Iranian Trotskyists of Hezb Karegaran Workers Party) bave made the call tor a freely clected constituent assembly as the revolutionary way forward for the masses one ol' theit central slogans trom the lis enormous importance is Socialist Challenge 7 June page 11
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resolution attacking this project. All the left with the possible