[8 SOCIALIST ACTION DECEMBER 1985 Parliamentary elections, which…]

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8 SOCIALIST ACTION DECEMBER 1985 Parliamentary elections, which Solidarity had urged workers to boycott, were held in Poland on Oct. 13. Solidarity denounced these fraudulent elections, which allowed a "choice" only among candidates selected by the ruling party.

Gen. Wojciech Jaruzelski claimed an "overwhelming victory" for the Polish bu -reaucracy, stating that 80 percent of the voters had gone to the polls. Normalization had finally been established in Poland, Jaruzelski stated.

The underground publications of So -lidarity, however, have a different assess -ment of recent events in that country. Tygodnik Mazowsze, one of the largest underground papers, devoted its Oct. 17 issue entirely to unmasking the claims made by the government.

Based on carefully established "parallel controls" at the voting places, the lead -ership of Solidarity was able to determine that voter participation nationally was, in fact, between 60 percent and 62 percent. In Gdansk, Warsaw, and other major industrial cities, the turnout was closer to 50 percent. In. Warsaw, participation was 20 percent lower than during the 1984 municipal Tygodnik Mazowsze also documented dozens of cases where the security police had threatened to cut off irrigation rights and farm equipment to farmers if they did not vote.

But most important was the wave of government repression unleashed against Nov. 2 conference (continued from page 1: “Nov. 2 peace conference sets goals”)

Tutu-Seavers' determined assertion that "We are not struggling to reform apartheid. We are struggling to dismantle it." " [See excerpts of conference speeches in the "FORUM" section of this issue.] William Winpisinger, president of the International Association of Machinists and Aerospace Workers, gave a blistering attack on the U.S. war economy, peppered with statistics such as: "Just half of the proposed increase in military spending for fiscal year 1986 could lift every U.S. kid out of poverty next year."

Jane Gruenebaum, national executive director of the Nuclear Weapons Freeze Campaign, spoke optimistically about educating the American people to oppose nuclear weapons and weapons testing.

Other featured speakers at the conference The Bishop Tutu Refugee Fund raises funds for the medical, clothing, and educational needs of South African refugees. There are an estimated 750,000 living in refugee camps in surrounding African countries.

Most of the refugees are between 18 and 24 years old. Funds can be sent to: Bishop Tutu Refugee Fund c/o Cap -itol Region Conference of Churches, 30 Arbor Street, Hartford, Conn. 06106. All checks should be made out to the Capitol Region Con -ference of Churches (ear marked "Tutu Fund").

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SociAlist ActioN FoReM

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Bishop Tutu Refugee Fund