In late September, negotiators from the El Salvador right-wing government, and from the rebels of the FMLN, agreed the basis for ending the country's 12-year old civil war.
The talks were on the highest level which have oocured so far. Although they did not meet directly. both FMLN leader Jaime Villalobos, and president of the ARENA party govemment Christiani were there.
The taiks were held directly at the initiative of UN secretary general Perez de Cuellar. wide-ranging agreement for a demiltarisation of the conflict, and its transformation into a political strugole. in the tramework democratic constitution.
Virtualy all political forces in B Salvador welcomed the agreement. from the FulN to the debonair psychopath leader of the death squads, ARENA president for life", Roberto D'Autisson.
The agreement provides for::
o A reduction of the sze of El Salvador's military forces, and a No.11 new admissions and training policy to be worked out. A commission to Investigate human rights abuses by the army.
• A permanent national consultative body, including govemment, labour and bosses' organisa• Private peasants to be allowed to till stale-owned lands, and the govemment to respect peasant occupancy of land in guerrila-controlled areas until the courts decide rightful ownership.
• ine estabisnment or a na tional commission for the consolidation of peace, with repre sentatives from all sides.
In the framework of this agreement, the FMLN would be disbanded, and transformed into a purely political, and not military. be eligible to join the army, but could be admitted into the national police force.
The agreement includes imporment side. But the FMLN have been waging a revolutionary struggle for the past 12 years. Have they really achieved that much if this agreement is accepted? This is a Salvador army on terror campaign pressure But with the army intact and the FMLN disbanded, there is no guarantee against the retum of the rule of the oligarchy and the death squads.
Proponents of the agreement argue that the FMLN is winning as much as can be won, and that a strategic retreat is inevitable; thus revolutionary struggle has now to be waged by other means. But the danger is that the FMLN will become a social democratic, reforNobody can doubt the enormous dificulties which the FMLN face, or the courage with which they have waged their war. But unilaterally disanning their forces could open up huge dangers.
The Salvadorean revolution is on the verge of defeat. The fact that it is negotiated deteat cannot hide cal paper The Guardian daims, "one for our side". it is one for their side, the victory of counter-revolution. radical post-yoy. it supported newly emerging indeand was vocal in demanding both the defence and extension a women's rights.
This came to an abrupt end over by a West German company in association with that welk known defender of women's rights, Robert Maxwell. Fur Dich was closed down in june this year.
In Poland after the draft of the Unborn Child Protection Bill was April/May 1989, there were huge demonstrations in Warsaw, Poznan and Bydgoszcz.
Many independent women's oramsanons arose auring tos period - the Polish Feminist AsWomen, Pro Femina, Women's Self-Defence Movement. But while opinion olls showed a majority of Polish people op tion rapidly declined This passivity is a real prob lem. It reflects the thorough demoralisation that exists among a bigsection of the East European working class, particulariy Challenging both the attacks deology of 'motherhood" that is gaining ground in Eastern europe, is a vital task oi socialists everywhere.
This task is made all the more difficult by the absence of a strong socialist feminist move ment in vestern Burope. men in the West as well as the East have much responsibility to take these issues up as women do. This experience shows again that reminism, and no reminism without socialism.
ЕЛЬЦИН "БАСТОВАТІ Muscovites dion't fight the coup for the elite to fill their pockets Features. Everybody rube shoulders. walking on Zhukovka's main come over here hoping to invest profitably could do with a lot