CONSTITUTION OF THE ALL-AFRICAN PEOPLE’S REVOLUTIONARY UNIFICATION PARTY (AAPRUP)
Contact Phone: (415) 789-7360
P.O. Box 23074, Oakland, CA 94623-0074 U.S.A.
The AAPRUP is working to organize the masses of 1.4 billion Africans scattered in more than 130 countries into one African nation, so that African people can attain political, economic, and social power. We are working for the complete overthrow of the bourgeoisie and all other exploiting classes, the establishment of the dictatorship of the proletariat in place of the dictatorship of the bourgeoisie and the triumph of socialism over capitalism. The ultimate aim of the Party is the realization of Pan-Africanism, which includes socialism leading to communism. “The total liberation and unification of Africa under an All-African Socialist government must be the primary objective of all black revolutionaries throughout the world. It is an objective which, when achieved, will bring about the fulfillment of the aspirations of Africans and people of African descent everywhere. It will at the same time advance the triumph of the internationalist socialist revolution. and the onward progress toward world Communism, under which, every society is ordered on the principal of –from each according to his/her ability, to each according to his/her needs”. Socialist society covers a considerably long historical period. Throughout this historical period, there are classes, class contradictions, and class struggle, there is the struggle between the socialist road and the capitalist road, there is danger of capitalist restoration and there is the threat of subversion and aggression by imperialism. These contradictions can be resolved only by depending on the theory of continued revolution under the dictatorship of the proletariat and on practice under its guidance. The Party must rely on the working class, strengthen the worker-peasant alliance and lead the people of all the nationalities of our country in carrying on the revolutionary movements of class struggle, the struggle for production and scientific experiment; lead the people in building socialism independently and with the initiative in our own hands, through self-reliance, hard struggle, diligence and thrift by going all out, aiming high and achieving greater, faster, better and more economical results; and lead them in preparing against war and natural disasters and doing everything for the people. Comrades throughout the Party must have the revolutionary spirit of daring to go against the tide, must adhere to the principles of practicing Nkrumahism-Toureism and not revisionism, working for unity and not for splits, and being open and above-board and not engaging in intrigue and conspiracy, must be good at correctly distinguishing contradictions among the people from those between ourselves and the enemy and correctly handling them, must develop the style of integrating theory with practice, maintaining close ties with the masses and practicing criticism and self-criticism, and must train millions of successors for the cause of the proletarian African revolution, so as to ensure the Party’s cause will advance forever along the Nkrumahist-Toureist line. The future is bright: the road is tortuous. Members of the AAPRUP, who dedicate their lives to the struggle of Pan-Africanism, must be resolute, fear no sacrifices and surmount every difficulty to win victory! Our ideology is Nkrumahism-Toureism, which is derived from a scientific analysis of African and world history and the revolutionary Pan-African principles, practices and policies of Kwame Nkrumah and Sekou Toure, two of the foremost advocates of Pan-Africanism. Nkrumahism- Toureism is an ideology grounded in the history, culture, and personality of African people while simultaneously reflecting the universality of the world wide Communist movement. Part of our work is to establish Nkrumahism-Toureism as the dominant revolutionary ideology of Africans worldwide and the leading social forces in the renaissance of African civilization. The principals of Nkrumahism-Toureism include: 1) African identity and personality 2) Pan-Africanism as the primary objective of all African revolutionaries world-wi de 3) Dialectical and Historical materialism 4) Humanism 5) Egalitarianism (which includes the Emancipation of Women) 6) Collectivism 7) Industrialism 8) Harmony of Revolution and Religion 9) Necessity and primacy of permanent, mass, political education and organization 10) Necessity for Positive Action 11) Socialism leading to Communism.
Chapter Two
Membership:
HOW TO JOIN?
We go shall our way and try to carefully and patiently as possible to test and discover real organizers, people with sober and practical minds, people who combine loyalty to Pan-Africanism with ability without fuss (and in spite of muddle and fuss) to get a large number of people working together steadily and correctly within the framework of a revolutionary organization. Only such people, after they have been tested a dozen times, by being transferred from the simplest to the more difficult tasks, should be promoted to the responsible post of leaders of the people’s labor, leaders of administration.
Complete loyalty to the ideas of Pan-Africanism, socialism, and communism, to the interest of the working class, the nation, to the political line of the Party, the severest sense of organization and discipline, close contacts with the masses, and ability to fulfill the tasks assigned. These are fundamental, unvarying requirements in the qualifications of cadre, in whatever period.
Furthermore, before anyone can be a Party member, they will have first to be a candidate for the Party. You will have to show evidence that you deserve in fact to be admitted to our Party, and then you will be admitted. It has to be like this, because we want to serve the African masses effectively. We cannot afford mistakes. Our Party is open to the best sons and daughters of Africa. Today we are all for the ‘Party’, but little by little the nucleus who are the Party is being defined. Anyone who is in fact of the Party is in or will join that nucleus; anyone who is not of the Party will leave. We can only genuinely achieve what we want in our land if we form a group of women and men who are strong, able not to cheat their comrades and not to lie, able to look their comrades straight in the eye, and be able to accept that the youth will be the masters tomorrow in our land, Africa. There should only be honest and serious persons in the Party. Anyone who is dishonest should leave, as should all those who take advantage of the Party to serve their personal interests. Today they may deceive us, but tomorrow they will leave for sure.
Everyone must work their way through the ranks. Everyone must start in support or a Party organization. The support level of the Party will be individuals volunteering to do specific tasks for the Party, i.e. passing out leaflets, make telephone calls, assist financially, etc.. Right now the priority will be passing out leaflets because political education of the people is always a high priority. All supporters will be encouraged to attend monthly Political Education Seminars. Before being promoted to work-study you must become a Candidate for the Party.
Candidate Members
All persons joining the Party must pass through a probationary period as candidate members in order to more thoroughly familiarize themselves with the Program and Rules of the AAPRUP and prepare for admission to full membership of the Party. Party organizations must assist candidates to prepare for admission to full membership of the Party, and test their personal qualities. The period of probationary membership shall be one year.
The procedure for admission of candidate members (individual admission, submission of recommendations, decision of the Party organization as to admission, and its endorsement) is identical with the procedure for the admission of Party members.
On the expiration of a candidate member’s probationary period the primary party organization discusses and passes a decision on her/his admission to full membership. Should a candidate member fail, in the course of her/his probationary period, to prove her/his worthiness, and should her/his personal traits make it evident that she/he cannot be admitted to membership of the AAPRUP, the Party organization shall pass a decision rejecting her/his admission to membership of the Party; after endorsement of that decision by a higher body, she/he shall cease to be considered a candidate member of the AAPRUP.
Candidate members of the party participate in all the activities of their Party organizations; they shall have a consultative voice at Party meetings. They may not be elected to any leading Party body, nor may they be elected delegates to a Party conference or Congress. Candidate members of the AAPRUP must attend monthly Political Education Seminars, work in a Party organization, and pay membership dues at the same rate as full members.
Article 1. Any African who accepts the constitution of the Party, joins a party organization and works actively in it, carries out Party’s decisions, observes Party discipline and pays membership dues may become a member of the AAPRUP. On the subject of Dues, President Sekou Toure states: “Membership dues are a necessity to keep the party apparatus running; but they also have a deep significance in terms of militancy, as the concrete expression of the degree of mobilization of the masses, and an evidence of their desire that party action should be extended and reinforced. Freely committed to her/his party, and resolutely engaged in the action that it conducts, a militant would not neglect paying her/his membership dues. If difficulties arise, there must be some reason why she/he starts to look on her/his financial contribution towards party funds as an unjustified obligation.”
Article 2. Applicants for Party membership must go through the procedure for admission individually. An applicant must be recommended by two Party members, fill out an application form for Party membership and be examined by a Party branch, which must seek the opinions of the broad masses inside and outside the Party. Application is subject to acceptance by the general meeting of the Party branch and approval by the next higher Party committee.
Article 3. Members of the AAPRUP must:
1) Conscientiously study Nkrumahism-Toureism thought and principles and criticize revisionism;
2) Work for the interests of the vast majority of people of Africa and the world.
3) Be able at uniting with the great majority, including those who have wrongly opposed them but are sincerely correcting their mistakes; however, special vigilance must be maintained against careerist, conspirators and double dealers so as to prevent such bad elements from usurping the leadership of the Party and the state at any level and guarantee that the leadership of the Party and the state always remains in the hands of Nkrumahist-Toureist revolutionaries;
4) Consult with the masses when matters arise:
5) Be bold in making criticism and self-criticism
Article 4. When Party members violate Party discipline, the Party organizations at the levels concerned shall, within their functions and powers and on the merits of each case, take appropriate disciplinary measures–warning, serious warning, removal from posts in the Party, placing on probation within the Party, or expulsion from the Party.
The period for which a Party member is placed on probation shall not exceed two years. During this period, he/she has no right to vote or elect or be elected.
A party member whose revolutionary will has degenerated and who does not change despite repeated education may be persuaded to withdraw from the Party.
When a Party member asks to withdraw from the Party, the Party branch concerned shall, with the approval of its general membership meeting, remove his/her name from the Party rolls and report the matter to the next higher Party body for the record.
Proven renegades, enemy agents, absolutely unrepentant persons in power taking the capitalist road, degenerates and alien class elements must be cleared out of the Party and not be re-admitted.
Chapter 3
Organizational principle of the Party
Article 5. The organizational principle of the Party is Democratic Centralism. Congresses are summoned by the Central Committee. An extraordinary congress must be called within six months upon demand by not less than one-half of the Party membership. All approved party organizations are represented at the congress. The congress should be preceded by a full discussion throughout the party of all questions that party members deem important.
The leading bodies of the Party at all levels shall be elected through democratic consultation in accordance with the requirements for successors to the cause of the African revolution and the principle of combining the old, the middle-aged and the young.
The whole Party must observe unified discipline: the individual is subordinate to the organization, the minority is subordinate to the majority, the lower level is subordinate to the higher level, and the entire Party is subordinate to the Central Committee (between congresses). The Central Committee is subordinate to the Party Congress.
Leading bodies of the Party at all levels shall regularly report on their work to congresses or general membership meetings, constantly listen to the opinions of the masses both inside and outside the Party and accept their supervision. Party members have a right to criticize organizations and leading members of the Party at all levels and make proposals to them. If a Party member holds different views with regard to the decision or directives of the Party organizations, he/she is allowed to reserve his/her view and has the right to bypass immediate leadership and report directly to higher levels, up to and including the Central Committee. It is absolutely impermissible to suppress criticism and to retaliate. It is assumed that within the general framework of the revolutionary program there will be shades of difference on various programmatic, tactical, and practical questions. These should be openly discussed and debated, particularly (but not necessarily exclusively) before party congresses. Within the limits which vary depending on time, place, and circumstance-such differences can be aired publicly. All members should be encouraged to participate in this discussion process and should have an opportunity to make their views known to the Party as a whole. It is assumed that at times, groupings will form around one or another viewpoint or even around a full-fledged platform that certain believe the Party should adopt. This – opposed to groupings based on personal likes and dislikes, and ill defined moods and bases- provides a basis for ongoing political clarity and programmatic development, which are essential to the health and growth of the Party. It is essential to create a political situation in which there are both centralism and democracy, both discipline and freedom, both unity of will and personal ease of mind and liveliness.
Chapter 4
The main task of the primary organizations of the Party are:
1) To lead the Party and non-party members in studying Nkrumahism-Toureism principles and thoughts and the Ideological Training guidelines conscientiously and criticizing revisionism;
2) To give constant Political Education to the Party members and non-party members concerning the ideological and political line and lead them in fighting resolutely against the class enemy.
3) To propagate and carry out the policies of the Party, implement its decisions and fulfill every task assigned by the Party and the State.
4) To maintain close ties with the masses, constantly listen to their opinions and demands and wage an active ideological struggle so as to keep Party life vigorous ;
5) To take in new Party members, enforce Party discipline and constantly consolidate the Party organizations, getting rid of the stale and taking in the fresh, so as to maintain the purity of the Party ranks.
Chapter 5
There are different levels of participation inside the AAPRUP. So people can understand what we mean by working yourself through the ranks, we will describe each level of participation. Sympathizers-there exist a body of people who are knowable and unknowable at this time who agree with Pan-Africanism, revolution, radical change, social justice, Nationalism, Women’s Emancipation, and Youth participating fully in the people’s struggle (they also agree with the general tint of Nkrumahism-Toureism). We want to invigorate, concretize this segment and it is out this group that active supporters will come.
Supporters-Those who will do specific things for and with the organization at a specific time. They will seek out knowledge at a higher level than sympathizers will. A diverse group whose social consciousness has brought them to the African Revolution to participate on various levels. It is from this group that people become Candidate Members and get promoted to work-study. This group of people are a very important labor force for the organization. They must be organized.
Work-study militants are in the political education process of the AAPRUP in training to become cadre for the African Revolution. These are the people who are dedicated to assuming an increasing higher level of work and study. They are expected to engage in most activities of the organization to a greater or lesser degree, abide by all the principles, ideology, rules, and regulations of the organization. They must be in a Party organization, pay monthly dues, and be in a work-study group. It is from the work-study group that people are promoted to Cadre.
Cadre are voting members of the organization. Cadre are expected to operate as full, unreserved participants in the Party and the African Revolution with adherence to the principles of Nkrumahism-Toureism. Cadre are people who have gone through the work-study political education process and have decided to dedicate their lives to the Party, the people, and the African Revolution. They must adhere to Democratic Centralism and other organizational disciplines of the Party. They must train work-study militants to become cadre. They recruit, organize, and help maintain supporters and must do work among the broad masses of the people in political education and propaganda work. They must engage in constant political education, and raise their cultural and technical capacity. Cadre must finance the organization. The work of the revolution must be their primary social activity in society. They must uphold the pre-eminence and interest of the toiling masses.
The Central Committee represents the party in relations with other parties: it organizes various party institutions and guides their activities; it organizes and conducts undertakings of significance for the party as a whole; it allocates party personnel and funds, and is in charge of the central party treasury; it settles conflicts between and within various party institutions and it generally coordinates all the activity of the party.
Between congresses, the central committee (elected by and answerable to the congress) should ensure the cohesion and coordinate the work of the party on the basis of the party’s program and the decisions of the congress. In addition, the central committee has a responsibility to keep all local units of the party informed of all party experiences and activities, while the local committees have a responsibility to keep the central committee informed of their experiences and activities. Under the conditions of severe political repression and in the midst of major struggles the authority of the central party leadership is always bound by the revolutionary Nkrumahist-Toureist program of the party, by the decisions of the party congress, and by a responsibility (and accountability) to the membership as a whole.
The Central Committee must have all the characteristics of the Cadres as well as have the leadership capacity equal to the task defined by historical necessity of the revolution and the Party. They must be women and men of vision. They must be women and men capable of evolving the ideology of Nkrumahism-Toureism. The revolution must be primary. It must be the central concern of their life. These people are accountable to every tier of the party, to each other, and to the African masses, the African Revolution, and to history. They must be the most competent, experienced members of the Party who have come through the ranks. They must be the vanguard of the party and revolution in all matters pertaining to the revolution and the Party. They must seek to constantly replenish themselves. They must seek not only to safeguard what the people and the Party have, but are simultaneously responsible for creating and bringing new material and immaterial realities which enhance the national wealth.
Cadre
When we speak of Party Cadres, this implies all members of the Party, because every Party member has the duty to exercise Party leadership in his/her field of work, and in this sense, a Party member is by definition a cadre. All criteria, requirements and tasks defined in the Party Constitution for each Party member represent the basic and highest principles of Nkrumahism-Toureism, Pan-Africanism, and a communist class stand and morality. The admission of a new Party member must necessarily meet the criteria provided for in the party constitution.
After the Party has worked out a correct political line, organizational work in general, and cadre work in particular, the cadres are the decisive factor for the success of revolutionary tasks. Saying that the cadres are the decisive factor amounts, in the final analysis, to saying that cadre policy and cadre work are the decisive factor. If cadre work is well done and if we have a correct cadre policy, we shall have an adequate contingent of good cadres. A correct cadre policy enables the creation and constant expansion of a contingent of cadres representing the Party’s political life, to constantly ensure correct and full application of the tasks laid down by the Party and state, a contingent of cadre strong both collectively and individually, it provides conditions for cadres to give full play to their abilities and contributions, to advance constantly along with the constant development of the revolutionary tasks. This always leads to the most satisfactory results for the revolutionary cause.
Cadres are the most valuable asset of the revolution. Cadres decide the success or failure of a line. Cadres build up a movement and in return the movement gives birth to cadres. Never will the source of supply of cadres dry up, provided we take care to discover, encourage, foster , and promote them.
When looking for strong points as well as weaknesses and defects in the quality of a Party member or cadre, we must first of all examine her/his level of study and assimilation of Nkrumahism-Toureism, their knowledge and understanding of the Party line and policy, their determination to make efforts and their practical ability to fulfill the tasks assigned and to persuade and organize the masses to join them in implementing the line, policies, and all tasks laid down by the Party. In the end, all this must be translated to practical deeds and the extent of the benefits brought to the revolution by these deeds. Certainly we should not base ourselves solely on momentary or inconsequential actions, but must carefully examine a long process, with all tested evidence. This process is nothing other than the process of implementing the tasks entrusted by the revolution. That is why, whether he/she fulfills his/her tasks or not always remains the only trustworthy, objective yardstick in measuring the qualifications of a Party member or cadre. The foremost task of all revolutionary movements and revolutionary organizations is to endeavor to train and foster cadres in a systematic manner. A very fruitful way of training cadres on-the-job is to assign them appropriate work, give them all the help needed, and create conditions for them to accomplish their work, supply them with adequate study materials and widely develop all forms of work and study. V.I. Lenin wrote, “We shall go our way and try to carefully discover real organizers, people with sober and practical minds, people who combine loyalty to socialism with ability without fuss (and in spite of muddle and fuss) to get a large number of people working together steadily and correctly within the framework of the Soviet organization. Only such people, after they have been tested a dozen times, by being transferred from the simplest to the more difficult tasks, should be promoted to the responsible post of leaders of the people’s labor, leaders of administration.”
Complete loyalty to the ideas of Pan-Africanism, socialism, and communism, to the interest of the working class and the African nation, to the political line of the Party, the severest sense of organization and discipline, close contacts with the masses, and the ability to fulfill the tasks assigned. These are the fundamental, unvarying requirements in the qualifications of cadre in whatever period.
A wise political line produces good cadres. Cadres are trained and mature under a wise line. On the other hand, they take part in the making and development of the line. They ensure the realization of the line. Without competent cadres, even though we have worked out the line, it would be useless. If cadre are bad, they will damage the line itself. If cadres are good and able, they not only help carry out the line creatively but also contribute to its development.
We must link learning with struggle, struggle against ourselves and the struggle for the realization of the revolutionary tasks, so that the noble Pan-Africanist, socialist, and communist ideas completely prevails in our minds, in our lives and in our daily activities; also in the life of the entire society, so that individualism has no more room in our minds and actions or in social life as a whole. The sense of organization and discipline is absolutely necessary in revolutionary struggle. That is why one of the foremost qualities which a cadre must constantly foster is the sense of organization and discipline. This is the most important virtue manifesting the ideology of Nkrumahism-Toureism, the masses being the collective masters, which is basically opposed to individualism and bourgeois and petty-bourgeois liberalism.
RULES OF DISCIPLINE
1. Obey orders in all your actions.
2. Do not take a single needle or piece of thread from the masses.
3. Turn in everything captured.
4. Speak politely.
5. Pay fairly for what you buy.
6. Return everything you borrow.
7. Pay for anything you damage.
8. Do not hit or swear at people.
9. Do not damage crops.
10. Do not take liberties with women.
11. Do not ill-treat captives.
12. Keep your eyes and ears open.
13. Know the enemy within.
14. Always guide and protect the children.
15. Always be the servant of the people.