International Socialists

Adopted as an interim Constitution January 2003

Adopted as a permanent Constitution at National Conference, July 6 2003

A) Introduction

1) The purpose of this Constitution is to provide a basic political and organisational framework with democratic safeguards, but also with the clear objective that the most effective organisation will have the ability to adjust itself according to the concrete needs of the current period.

2) It is intended for a small organisation currently consisting of two geographic branches as well as individual members in other centres. As we grow and political conditions change it will be necessary to democratically modify the Constitution.

B) Political purpose and aims

3) The ISO is an organisation of revolutionary socialists dedicated to the overthrow of capitalism internationally and the construction of a democratic and socialist world.

4) The ISO stands in and develops the revolutionary socialist tradition of Marx, Lenin, Trotsky and Luxemburg, as opposed to the social democratic and Stalinist traditions.
Standing as it does in this tradition, the ISO believes that the working class is the only force capable of building a democratic and socialist world. Therefore it aims to lay the foundations for the building of a revolutionary socialist party composed in its overwhelming majority of workers.

5) As a small organisation, there is less need for formal leadership structures than exists in larger groups. But the need still clearly exists for accountability and democratic procedures. Above all else, we are committed to the organisation being democratically controlled by its members.

C) Organisational structure of branches and national coordination

Organising branches

6) Branches: The basic organisational unit of the ISO is the branch. A branch consists of no less than four members who reside close enough to each other to meet regularly in order to carry out political activity in a coordinated manner.

7) When a branch becomes large enough it shall elect an Organising Committee (OC) to coordinate the activities of the branch.

8) Whilst the OC is responsible for day-to-day organisational work, the membership, meeting as a branch, exert effective control over all major political decisions. To this end the OC shall call a members only meeting to discuss and determine any major political decisions.

9) OC meetings are open to all members who can attend any OC meeting if they wish.

10) Any member may call an OC election and propose a slate. The outgoing OC or other groups of members cannot propose a new OC slate.

11) Elections may be held at branch meetings or at a members only meeting.

12) At least two weeks notice of elections shall be given to all members.

13) The OC is elected on a slate basis, not by the election of individuals.

14) The maximum size of the OC is 6 members.

15) At the time of election:

1. A returning officer shall be elected.
2. All slates shall be submitted, along with the name of their proposer and seconder.
3. Voting may be by secret ballot or by show of hand, as decided by the meeting.
4. If only one slate is submitted, a confidence vote shall be taken.
5. If three or more slates are submitted, the lowest-polling slate shall be removed in the next round of voting.
   

16) Other positions: The OC shall elect from its membership a Secretary, Treasurer and other positions if necessary.

17) Subsidiary Bodies: The OC shall not appoint any subsidiary body with executive powers.

18) Branch formation and dissolution: Branches shall be formed, recognised, and/or dissolved according to political objectives and procedures as determined by the branch membership in consultation with the Coordinating Committee (CC).

19) Branch Rules: Branches may adopt rules and procedures, consistent with this Constitution, for regulating branch meetings and activity.

Membership

20) Membership: Membership is open to anyone who wishes to join. There is no probationary membership period or other special conditions.

21) Members at large: If a member cannot conveniently attend any branch, they may be designated as members at large. Such members have equal rights and obligations.

National coordination

22) National coordination shall be provided by the Coordinating Committee (CC). The CC will have the power to make national decisions, resolve disputes between branches, and is accountable for these decisions to the membership.

The CC shall be composed of four or five members.

The CC shall be elected as follows:

1. a slate shall be proposed by one or more members but not by the outgoing CC at least three weeks in advance of the election;
2. elections of the CC will be by members within their branches employing the same procedures as for branch OC elections (see 15 above). Members at large will vote by communicating their views to the nearest branch;
3. any member may at any time may propose a new CC slate for election.
   

23) Publications: The content, editorship and political stance of the organisation’s publications and website shall be determined by the membership through its elected bodies (Editorial Board, OCs and CC) and members only meetings.

D) Membership rights and obligations

24) Principles: Membership rights and obligations are subject to the following principles:

A. Voluntary:
Membership is voluntary, and undertaken by individuals because they support the organisation and its objectives; and

B. Political:
The organisation is formed and maintained by its members in order to assist, advise and educate members in their political activity; and

C. Organised:
Members are most effective when they are organised and acting in accordance with agreed political convictions.

D. Active:
Members are expected to play an active role in the everyday struggles of workers, students and the oppressed.

25) Rights: Only members who are financial or who have made alternative arrangements with the organisation may vote. Members have the right to: attend branch and organising meetings, speak and be heard in silence in meetings, raise agenda items at meetings, submit proposals as motions or otherwise, vote on proposals/motions, elect the appropriate leadership body, be advised of decisions effecting them as members, and circulate documents internally on relevant issues.

26) Obligations: Members who strongly disagree with a decision of the organisation shall be encouraged to actively implement the decision in order to test it in practice. If they cannot, they shall refrain from hindering the implementation of the decision. Further, if a member has concerns about the activities of the ISO they shall raise these internally. They shall not discuss these issues externally.

27) Membership requirements: The ISO stands in a political tradition that assumes that its members will support the organisation by means of paying regular dues, attending meetings, selling its publications, and participating in the organisation’s external activities. These requirements are a general objective, but may be subject to political circumstances, and/or the personal circumstances of the member.

28) Union membership: Members who work in paid employment shall belong to their union.

29) Childcare: Where a member or members of a branch have children the branch as a whole will assume responsibility for ensuring that childcare responsibilities do not prevent the member(s) from participating fully in the political life of the branch.

30) Lapsed membership: The OC may lapse a membership, after discussion with the member concerned where possible, when the member concerned falls more than 3 months behind in their dues, or fails to attend organisational activities for 6 months.

31) Factions: The decision-making process should allow full consideration of contending views in organisational forums, with all those attending being open to persuasion by debate. Nevertheless history has proven that if members feel that this process is inadequate to resolve an issue, they will form a faction to promote their views. Members may therefore form factions, on any programme consistent with the political principles of the organisation. Factions are expected to publish their programme as soon as possible after formation. Factions are expected to seek to realise their programme by submitting it to the appropriate decision-making process of the organisation and are expected to dissolve following a clear adoption or rejection of its programme by the membership.

32) Resignation: Members may resign at any time by communicating their resignation to the OC and/or the CC.

E) Discipline

33) Principles: Discipline is subject to the membership rights and obligations set out above, and also to the principles that:

A. Leadership bodies have a special responsibility to take account of strong personal objections to particular policies;

B. An expression of dissent in an internal forum is never a disciplinary issue;

C. Errors are an inevitable occurrence in political practice.

34) Penalties: Branches and leadership bodies have the right and obligation to ensure that no member(s) sabotage the agreed political objectives of the organisation and the clear decisions of the membership. This may be exercised by discussion, counselling, direction, warning, censure, suspension or expulsion. The suspension or expulsion of a member requires the positive vote of at least 75% of all members of the organisation. Expulsion shall be exercised only as an absolute last resort.

35) Procedures: In determining whether to take disciplinary actions against a member, the following procedures are an ideal to be applied to the greatest extent permitted by time, security and political circumstances:

1. Eyewitness evidence and first-hand knowledge are the best guide to facts;
2. The member threatened with discipline has the right to know and the right to be heard;
3. Other members have the right to know and to debate the necessity for disciplinary action;
4. After discipline there is a right of appeal.

F) Amendment and availability of Constitution

36) Amendment:

1. Proposal of amendments to the Constitution may be by individual members, branches, branch OCs, and/or the CC.
2. In order for an amendment to this Constitution to be adopted and enacted by the ISO, 75% of the membership must support it.
3. The approval process shall be broadly consistent with the voting procedure for CC elections. In particular, a proposal to amend the constitution must be circulated within the organisation at least three weeks in advance of a vote being taken by the membership.

37) Availability: This Constitution shall be freely available to members and supporters of the ISO.