whose aim is to Afghanistan and that suits the businessmen in Kabul.
So when the Popular Democratic Party of Alghanistan took power on 27 April 1978, they were facing massive problems have been difficult to deal with even if the PDPA was a revolutionary government. It was LEOL The chain of events which brought the PDPA to power started in the late sixties. Student mobilisations had broken out in the cities. The king, Zaher Chach, closed down the universities. The number of strikes. Two years later the peasants responded to two years of famine with a series of localised uprisings. with extreme brutality by the army. Toppled The instability confirmed in 1973 when a coup led by the foremost ruling class politician, Daoud, toppled the king and established a republic. But the chiefs and landowners refused to give up the slightest part of their privileges when he tried to advance a timid agrarian reform.
Of course, Daoud would not and could not turn to the urban masses and peasants to help him implement his programme. abandoned its main reform proposals, set up a dictatorship and turned to reactionary allies abroad to prop it up.
Repression nationalist officers worsened as the crisis of the Daoud regime deepened. Mir Akbar Woolworths -sa30: Cardin Brish enme irom 108 Books, Salisbury SC one Sain, 374068 BATH: SCion sale at Colin, Books, London Road 10, Sat. (0-4. For more into phone a D,.."
DUNDEE: SC HUDDERSFIELD: SC today Saim. Pazes allo aver ever SHINDON: SC on sale 11-1 every Sat., Regent St COLLECT ASSIDE Lahore Road, Middlesbrough cal, upstairs in spencer Market, Stockton Socialist Challenge defend the status quo in which would working class launched a These were put down fell. monarchy was Mohammed Instead he PDPA Kyber, SOCIALIST CHALLENGE EVENTS 061-236 4905 for sold outside C&As - for and Arms High Rd NW10.
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Name Address 21 February 1980 intellectual and trade union leader, assassinated on 17 April 1978. widespread repression the POTA plotted a coup against the regime in alliance with officers in the army. Ten days later Daoud The overthrow of the Daoud regime was therefore much more to do with a classical coup d'etat than with revolution. Certainly the mass movement did take to the streets in the days immediately preceding the coup. workers and peasants were not mobilised and organised in the struggle for power, but only to back up the limited efforts of the PDPA to defend itself. Perspective The PDPA at the time of its formation in 1965 adopted the perspective of a national democratic revolution as a stage to socialism. A section of the PDPA led by Barbrak Karmal Sare into nato Merses PUBLIC MEETING: "Fight the Tories', social with live lective Bookstall in the Trades Hall, Willesde SUBSCRIBE NOW 12 months £12.50; 6 months £ 6.50 12 months - Surface Mail - Airmail Multi-reader institutions: Double the above rate l enclose a donation for the Fighting Fund of POs and Money Orders should be made payable to and emum to: Socialist Challenge, 328 Upper Street, London N1.
Was Fearing leaders *Foundation But the In massive WHAT'S LEFT INTRIES are 5p a wor -display £2 a colum ach. Deadline: 5pm Friday before publication payments in auvance *PALESTINIAN near Archway £12.50 £18.00 took this to its logical conclusion when thes participated in the 1973 government of Daoud Divisions in the PDPA were systematised only two years after its foundation. Ethnic and personal factors combined with political ones resulted in the formation of two factions; that of the Kalq (People) faction led by Nor Taraki and Hafizullah Amin and the Parcham (Flag) faction led by Karmal.
first months in office Revolutionary Council formed by a reunited PDPA decreed reform which aimed to end the indebtness of the peasants in the countryside and to hit the big through imposing strict limits on the amount of land that could be held by an individual. Equal rights were decreed for women and a literacy campaign was to start in 1979 with the target of educating 2.5 million children and 5.5 million OCIALIST Students Alliance National Conference: 12 ion, Oxford Rd. MCR IS. Eveni further info tel: 061-273 5947. Uniol NEW issue of Revolution 01-359 8371.
the landowners Amin Of course University i Copies From Rest, Jude or Mick on on the The the DEUC typesetting problems for the imperialists. Who would act dramatic consequences Afghanistan developments? Israel and Egypt instead started to fulfill this role along with the bloc of countries headed by Saudi Arabia who had formed an alliance for the defence of the The plan was to support both directly and indirectly the efforts of the rightist force!
(This is the first article of two based on a resolution of the Fourth International shortly to be published.)
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