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02-10-03 )
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SPS
POLISARIO FRONT/CONGRESS
Polisario Front from the first to theeleventh Congress, change in
continuity
Review
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Tifariti
(Occupied
territories), 20/09/03 (SPS) - Polisario Front which is preparing to
organize,
next October the 12th, its eleventh Ordinary Congress would have led a
tireless
struggle in the military, political, diplomatic, economic,
administrative,
organizational and social fields to stand out as the unique
legitimate
representative of Saharawi people, having led its liberation struggle
against
Spanish colonialism first, then against the double invasion of Ould
Daddah
regime in Mauritania and Hassan II's regime in Morocco.
Under the victorious leadership of Polisario Front, Saharawi People
succeeded
in surmounting difficult stages and got over major obstacles its
enemiesputon
the path of its struggle for freedom and independence.
This fierce struggle, which lasts for more than 25 years, is now
rewarded
by the establishment of Saharawi people inalienable right to
self-determination
through a free, legal and transparent referendum, under the control and
supervision
of United Nations, Security Council and international Community
assistedbyobservers
and international mass media.
Elected Militants, Members of National Secretariat and of the
Government,
Ambassadors, local Political Officials, Members of SPLA's Staff,
elected
delegates of the military regions, Representatives of popular and of
student's
organizations, Local Council's elected Presidents (mayors) and elected
Representatives
of Saharawi Communities abroad.
The congress - supreme authority of Polisario Front- decides of the
directions
in all fields of national life, and of Saharawi People struggle for
self-determination
and independence.
Thus, it decides of the conduct to follow in the political, economic,
organizational,
military, social, diplomatic, cultural, information, communication …etc.
It proceeds in the evaluation of the passing stage between two
congresses,
in developing a national program of action, in reviewing Polisario
Frontinternallaw's
texts and SADR's constitution.
It elects Polisario Front's General Secretary, as well as, electing
Members
of the National Secretariat, the national leading authority in charge
ofSaharawipeople's
struggle between two congresses.
Since its foundation, in 1973, Polisario Front held ten congresses (the
11th
being expected in the 12th October 2003). Each congress took place in a
different
context of its precedent to constitute another necessary point of
departure
for the development of a new strategy adapted to the given situation
andappropriatefor
the continuation of the liberation struggle and that of
nationaledificationbattle.
If the first congress was marked by the birth of Polisario Front and
thebeginningof
National armed struggle for liberation, the other conferencesthat
followedby
intervals of three to four years would have shaped importantmarking
polesin
the heroic path of our People and in the challenge of independence.
Here are the contributions, achievements and, most important, the
historical
background of the ten popular congresses held by Polisario Front since
its
foundation in 1973 to our days.
----------I
Under the theme of "By the gun we force freedom”, the 1st
congress(constitutingcongress)
took place in May the 10th 1973 to declare the constitutionof
PolisarioFront
and the launch of the national struggle for liberation.
The political declaration of this first congress, congress of martyr
Mohamed
Sid'Brahim Bassiri, analysed the context of the period and the deep
reasons
that pushed Saharawi People to bare arms and to declare armed struggle
against
Spanish colonial administration after the failure of peaceful struggle,
violently
oppressed in June the 17th 1970 by the colonizer.
In clear terms the declaration announced the reasons behind this
inevitable
choice: "regarding the colonizer’s persistent will of dominion over
ourPeople, the attempt to destroy it by ignorance, poverty, division
anditsparting
from Arab world and the Maghreb", and considering "the failureofall
peaceful
attempts... The Popular Front for the Liberation of SaguietEl-Hamraand
Rio
de Oro (Polisario Front) is constituted as the unique
popularexpression,adoptingarmed
action as a mean to totally liberate arabo-africainPeople of
WesternSahara
from Spanish colonialism".
Ten days after, Polisario Front materialized on the field the content
ofitsconstituting
congress' political declaration by attacking in the 20thMay1973a
Spanishgarrison
in El-Khanga, a town located in the northern centerof WesternSahara.
A lasting struggle against three successive colonizers would be thus
engaged.
these acquisitions, paid by big sacrifices, bring Saharawis nearer to
the
complete liberation of their country from foreign occupation and the
establishment
of the state they created, legally declared in the 27th February 1976,
to
materialize their legitimate aspirations to freedom and independence.
------------II
The meetings of the second congress, Congress of martyr Abderrahmane
Abdallahi
were held from the 25th to the 31st August 1974 under the theme:
"Liberation
war is guaranteed by the people".
The intensification of armed confrontation between Saharawi Liberation
Army
and Spanish colonizer and the military victories won by Saharawi
Combatants
would lead Spain to trace the French strategy in its African colonies
through
the idea of false internal autonomy.
Miraculously, the Saharawi National union Party (PUNS) was created
hastily
backed by the colonizer. But it did not succeed and its members
integrated
Polisario Front in masses, and some of them run to Morocco, like its
Founder,
Khalihena Ould Rachid, or to Mauritania for other less important
members.
The Political Declaration of the 2nd Congress was firm and would let no
other
choice but complete independence. "The idea of autonomy is but a
colonial
ploy invented by the colonizer in order to stop its failure, and aiming
to
maintain its domination over our country and continue to exploit our
national
wealth", warned the declaration.
Polisario Front's second congress elaborated the first National Program
of
Action of the movement. It mainly stressed on the importance of
nationalallianceand
launched an urgent appeal to all Saharawis, regardless theirage, sex
orsocial
category to join Polisario Front's ranks, being fromthen on
the
uniquelegitimate representative of Saharawi people.
------------III
The 3d congress, an extraordinary congress, was held right after the
death
in the field of honor, in June the 9th 1976, of the National liberation
movement’s
founder, Martyr El Wali Moustapha Sayed, during the first Polisario
Front’s
military offensive against Ould Daddah’s regime in Nouakchott.
"No peace, no stability before the return and complete independence",
was
the Congress theme which was held after the hasty withdrawal of Spain,
The
administrating power, which had denied its historical responsibilities
and
sold a population it exploited during a century
Pushed by the decisions of this congress, Polisario Front would move
from
defense due to the invasion of the territory, to military offensive
“Chahid
El-Wali” against the new invaders who came to replace the Spanish
colonizer.
The offensive led to the fall of Ould Daddah regime (Mauritania), and
to
thedemoralization and confinement of Moroccan troops within what Rabat
called
then “useful triangle”, driven to the corner because of the war
that reached Moroccan own territories.
It recorded the increasing interest given to the national liberation
issue,
which was discussed at the level of international authorities,
andit
adopteda strategy for the war both on the military and diplomatic
fronts.
At the internal level, the 3d congress developed the first constitution
for
Saharawi state and ordered the study of a materialization of the
administrative
structure of refugees’ camps.
These same refugees who fled from towns; villages and countrysides,
since
Octoberthe 31st 1975, before Ould Daddah and Hassan II’s tanks
and
airplanes,would have to live a non preceded human tragedy in the
history
of the region.They would learn how to survive the trial; and how to
adapt
and even to organizethemselves bravely following an exemplary system
compared
to other refugeesaround the world.
--------IV
The first nucleus of national administration would be the achievement
of
the4th Popular Congress held from the 25th to the 30th September 1987
under
thetheme of: "continuous struggle to force national independence and
peace".
The development of an adapted policy targeting the edification and the
improvement
of the institutions of the State, the extension of the battle field to
set
the east and south of Morocco on fire, mastering of the military
initiative
on the field, the intensification of military operations, the failure
of
Morocco-Mauritanianshared defensive policy and the failure of the
French
direct military interventionin Western Sahara, the unilateral
proclamation
of cease-fire after the changeof Mauritanian regime in July the 12th
1987;
these were the main points observedby the participants to Martyr Sidi
Haidhoug’s
Congress, which would stresson the indigence of converting
Saharawis
to a well trained and organized armyin order to materialize
the
People’s choice of freedom and independenceand to force its
sovereignty
on its whole territory.
The 4th Congress would have, thus, contributed to aim a part
oftheefforts
towards the diplomatic front, in order to present Western
Saharaquestionahead
into the international scene, and to break the image in
whichMoroccanpropaganda,
backed by occidental mass media on the background of cold
war, presented
Polisario Front as “mercenaries underthe service of Algeria”.
---------V
Martyr Bachir Salah’s Congress, the 5th congress, which took
placefromthe
12th to the 16th October 1982 under the theme: “all the
homelandormartyrdom”
increased the interest on social issues after the successregistered at
the
military level.
It will note, with satisfaction, the intensification of battles, the
more
and more important military operations, maintaining psychological
pressure
on the enemy, the transfer of war inside Moroccan territories; these
were
the main trends of this historical congress.
At the diplomatic level, the congress would be marked by the struggle
led
with success by Saharawi diplomacy, for the admission of RASD within
AUO.
The idea of referendum and of peaceful solution to the conflict began
then
todevelop within the international community, which began finally to
consider
the real nature of the conflict, and which discovered the genocide and
the
martyrdom of a whole nation.
The 5th Congress stuck to the continuity of the military and diplomatic
offensive.
It devoted, however, a great part of its works to the promotion of the
social
concerns: education, culture, health service, social protection…etc.
The national program would consequently be updated, while no major
changes
werebrought to the constitution.
------------ VI
“All the homeland or martyrdom", with this theme, the 6th
congress
wascategorical in maintaining the line of conduct of its precedent.
There
wouldbe no solution out of the complete independence of Saharawi People
on
the wholenational territory.
Baptized Mohamed lamine Abba Cheikh, and held from the 07th to the 10th
December
1985, this congress let no ambiguity to those, from within Moroccan
alliances
in Occidental Europe, who were trying to spoil the national gains paid
by
Saharawi people blood.
At the internal level, the 6th congress focused on finding the best
ways
ofmanaging the Organization’s rudimentary means, and of putting
the
finishingtouches to mass organization’s structures.
At the political level, the supreme authority of Polisario Front would
decide
to maintain pressure on Morocco, to strengthen RASD’s position within
the pan-African organization, to obtain new diplomatic recognitions of
the
young state and to find ways to define the conditions of a peaceful
solution
to the conflict, which would be based, essentially, on the content of
the
resolution
AHG 104 presented by AUO, and which was adopted latter on by the UNO as
a
base to its Settlement Plan still “in force”, in principal, in
Western Sahara.
Saharawis would make a turning point in their strategy of struggle
which
wouldbe led this time within international political authorities side
byside
withmilitary struggle. The 6th congress would then express the
Saharawihope
andwill to positively deal with any genuine initiative of fair peacein
WesternSahara,
which would be based on the practice of Saharawi people of their
inalienableright
to self-determination a universal right Saharawi diplomacy had
alwaysobsereved.
At the military level, the 6th congress decided the pursuit of the
victorious
offensive “Houari Boumediene”, forcing Moroccan army to establish
new defensive walls that would not resist Saharawi Liberation Army
wearing
attacks.
---------- VII
The 7th congress held from the 28th April to the 1st May of 1989 leant
over
the strengthening of Polisario front institutions and reviewing the
state’s
structures.
Martyr Sidi Ethmane Sid’Ahmed’s congress would also focus onthestudy
of Moroccan strategy of sand walls, and decided the pursuit of the
wearing-war
which proved its efficiency.
Under the theme: “struggle and unity for national independence
and
peace”,the 7th congress highly valuated the international
increasing
interest fora peaceful resolution of the conflict, thanks to the
shared
efforts of UNOand AUO which would culminate in the meeting, of
Marrakech(January
1989) betweenHassan II and a Saharawi delegation of a highlevel.
The increasing support to Saharawi issue in Europe was added to the
recognition
of SADR by more than 70 country around the world.
Therefore, hope was legitimate, especially that King Hassan II became
more
flexible, and cold war was in its way to end with the arrival of
Perestroika
to power in USSR and the fall of the Wall of Berlin, which happened
months
after the conference of the congress.
--------VIII
Under the theme: “Mobilization of national energies to win the decisive
battle”, the 8th extraordinary congress of Polisario Front took place
from the 17 to the 19 June 1991 and was baptized Martyr Boulahi
Taleb
Oumarcongress.
Peace, referendum and independence were the dominant themes of all
discussions
on Western Sahara conflict inside and outside the country.
Due to the consequences of the end of the cold war, the 8th congress
adapted
a strategy of making the international opinion aware of the priority
henceforth
given to the values of peace, harmony, freedom, democracy and human
right,
that Saharawi People have never stopped demanding.
It decided to take maximum profit of the new international culture,
ordered
a gradual adaptation of the whole system to this culture through a
general
review of the organization’s political and administrative structures
(constitution, internal charter, internal regulation, National Council
–Parliament-,
judicial authority…)
The National Secretariat substituted the Executive Committee and the
Political
Bureau, taking the status of the supreme political authority between
two
congresses.And diplomacy would, therefore, substitute weapons in what
would
be from thenon known as the Saharawi people self-determination
referendum
battle that UN, AUO,Security Council and international
community
persist in claiming.
The cease-fire would be declared in a favorable regional and
international
situation, in this way UNO started the first concrete step within the
frame
of its obligations by bringing the famous UNO-AUO’s Settlement Plan
in force in Western Sahara.
----------IX
The 9th Congress would be organized in a context where the world was
undergoing
a big overthrow at the political, economical and military levels, after
the
fall of USSR and the appearance of the unipolar international system
under
the leadership of USA.
It would be held from the 19th to the 26th August 1995, baptized
congress
of Martyr Cheikh Bachir Hamadi Mehdi, under the theme: “independence
through peace or war”.
It would decide to keep on searching the resolution of the conflict
peacefully
through UN’s settlement Plan, already, in force in Western Sahara four
years ago.
Despite the fact that this plan got bogged down, Polisario Front
continued
on adopting it, to show to the world Hassan II’s unwillingness to
co-operate
for a fair and lasting settlement to the conflict.
At the internal level, it stressed in reactivating the role of the
National
Council (Parliament) to give it the needed authority not only to
legislate
and decide on proposed Laws, but also to achieve its mission of control
over
the executive authority.
It would also demand the separation of executive, legislative and
juridical
authorities, to generalize elections in the different national
institutions
and to adopt the secret direct voting system.
Polisario Front, thus, prepared itself, through the creation and
strengthening
of political, social, economical and cultural institutions in the
perspective
of independence, which was at hand, according to many observers.
----------X
Polisario Front’s last to date conference was held in August the 26th
1999 under the theme: “struggle, resistance and unity to force
independence
and peace”. Martyr Ahmed Salem Mohamed M’bareck Lemwahad’s
Congress took place in a moment when noteworthy progress was achieved
in
theimplementation of the Peace Plan in Western Sahara.
At the regional level, it would be held in the circumstances of the
death
of Hassan II who treated the issue as a personal question, Moroccan
socio-economic
crisis brought to light by the internal struggle, and the hopes “the
king of the poor” arisen after its accession to the thrown, would help
to evaluate and correct the amount of the disaster caused by his father
inside
Morocco and to the bordering countries; a hope not yet materialized.
The strong return of Algeria in the regional and international scene
with
the election of President Abdelaziz Bouteflika, and the reestablishment
of
stability and security in the country were sheering factors to the 1400
participant
in the conference.
At the international level, the participants considered that UNO, which
withstood
during 8 years the increasing cost of a direct implication in the
conflict,
could not continue playing the role of the policeman on the detriment
of
itscredibility already damaged in the profit of an old Monarchy
overwhelmed
bya long totalitarian reign, which do not care for democracy and human
rights.
They decided to give it (UNO) the needed time to fulfill its duty, and
stressed
on defining the main characteristics of the future independent Saharawi
State.
The decisions of this congress would focus on the nature of the
political
system, human rights, the economic policy and the socio-cultural
directions.
The congress would reiterate Saharawis attachment to the freedom of
expression,
multipartism, and free market economy. It would, also, stress on the
national
choices in relation to the policies to follow in the defense, foreign
affairs
at the regional, continental and international levels.
This document was developed , edited and translated by SPS. Its
spreading
is authorized, and even encouraged, with the only condition of
mentioning
its source. (SPS)
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