Socialist Federal Republic of Yugoslavia

“ By resolving its own problems, it contributes to the practice of the international workers’ movement in its struggle for the resolution of the fundamental contradictions of contemporary society on a progressively democratic and humanistic and socialist basis. This imposes upon the working class an additional responsibility, especially upon communists in Yugoslavia, regarding the realization of the principles underlying the new socio­ economic and political relations based on socialist self-management, as spelled out in the Draft Constitution. ”

“ The function of political power as an expression of some kind of "unified social interest" and thereby also of the "legitimacy" of the real power of the bourgeoisie, cannot, therefore, be based on man as he is, man as determined by the entirety of social relations, interests and the status of the class to which he belongs. Because of this, the classical representative system is based on an "abstract citizen", on an imaginary man, divorced from basic social relations, the relations of production, in which the real social substance is reproduced. ”

“ Throughout this entire period we have with regard to the status of socio-political organizations and political power striven to avoid two kinds of relations which are inadequate for a society based on self-management. One was a petty­ bourgeois reformist tendency towards spontaneous and uncontrolled development of society into socialism, independently of the influence of organized socialist consciousness, and the other - the bureaucratic-statist tendency towards direct power by the party apparatus with the well-known system of "transmission". ”

“ In an insufficiently developed and contradictory society it is necessary to ensure a synthesis of individual and general social interests, an integration of the momentary and the historic interest of the working class. The Draft Constitution tries to solve this problem through the institution of chambers in charge of politico-executive functions. ”

“ They are seen as a unique experience of the working class for the solution of problems of the contemporary world. Because of its complex structure, the Yugoslav multi-national community is in a way a world in miniature. ”

“ We turn, therefore, to the general public and to you with a warning that a dangerous situation is now being created, which will have unforeseeable consequences not only for the future of these innocent people but also for the future of a free and democratic Yugoslavia, if urgent measures are not taken to put an end to this arbitrary exercise of power and if the necessary dignity is not returned to the court and judicial system in this country. ”

“ We consider we have done nothing illegal. We have used only rights guaranteed to its citizens by the Yugoslav Constitution, which allows them personal initiative in the organization and improvement of their intercommunication. The above themes - and similar ones covered at other seminars of the Free University - best show its nature. Only a sick mind or an obscurantist conservatism could 'discover' counter-revolutionary activity and 'criminal acts' for the overthrow of the existing order behind this kind of activity. ”