Members' Referendum concerning Preparation of Federal Party Congress in Rostock

Five years ago, the history of our party "DIE LINKE" began with the snap federal elections, the resignation of Oskar Lafontaine from the SPD and the first exploratory talks between the PDS and the WASG. In these five years, DIE LINKE won not only a significant number of elections, but it has set off a process of fundamental change in politics and society at large. It has contributed to the shattering of the rule of the neoliberal elites, and to giving social struggles a perspective that goes beyond capitalism.

This is a unique success story. One of the essential conditions for this success is that the different parts, out of which the new Left is growing, work together with respect and on an equal footing. The founding party congress which convened in June 2007 adopted a number of temporary measures, which were written into the party constitution, in order to facilitate this growing-together. The leadership of the party by two chairpersons was among these transitional rules. These temporary measures will last until the party congress of 2010 convenes.

The executive board of the party submitted on the 26th of January 2010 a proposal for the personal composition of the standing committee of the executive board, a proposal which includes the suggestion for two chairpersons, four vice-chairpersons, two general secretaries, and two members with special tasks concerning the building of the party. To make this proposal electable, a change in the party constitution is needed. The proposers of this members' referendum want to put this decision on the widest possible foundation. That is why they propose a referendum of all party members.

We propose to incorporate the two-chairpersons-system, with a minimum quota for women, permanently into the party constitution. In addition to this, we propose that the party congress should be given the ability to elect for the next two years two federal general secretaries, with the option of extending their office terms, through a simple majority vote, for another two years. Further, our motion resolves that the party congress should elect two commissaries for party building, for the next term of office. Lastly, the proposal includes the instruction to the party executive board, which will be elected in Rostock, to carry out until the end of 2011 a referendum concerning a party program adopted by a session of the federal party congress.

The following motion is submitted to the party members:

1. 1. § 19 (composition and election of the party executive board) ischanged in paragraph 1 subparagraph 2a) as follows: "two party chairpersons, with the minimum quota for women applied,"
   2. Into § 38 (transitional rules) a paragraph 10 is inserted, which shall read as follows: "Until the election of the party executive board in 2012 two federal party secretaries shall be elected, with the minimum quota for women implemented. The party congress can decide with a simple majority to extend these temporary rules for two years."
   3. The Rostock party congress is instructed to elect two commissaries for party building, with the minimum quota for women applied, from among the number of the party executive board elected in 2010.
   
   YES - NO - ABSTAIN

2. The party executive board, which shall be elected by the Rostock party congress, is instructed to carry out until the end of 2011 a member's referendum concerning a party program adopted by the party congress.
   
   YES - NO - ABSTAIN