AM Socialist Solidarity Movement

The AM Socialist Solidarity Movement (AMSSM) formerly the (Partisan Political Front) is an opposition political party in the Grand Duchy of Keymon. Currently it prides itself as existing as the only left-wing party in the nation whilst remaining opposed to the all the mainstream political parties.

The party operates under the motto of: "Sous les pavés, la plage!"

Party Name
In August 2232, five months after venturing into mainstream politics the party officially changed its name from the Partisan Political Front to the Socialist Solidarity Movement. At a meeting of party campaingers General Secretary Missak Sergei Manouchian gave the following statement:

"The Partisan Political Front served a valuable role but we are no longer a disorganised clandestine unit. The name Socialist Solidarity Movement reflects our key principles and establishes us as an official party, ready to offer the people of Keymon a viable alternative to the neo-liberal, jingoistic and religiously motivated parties that currently rule the nation."

In February 2235 following its induction into the Synodus Axis Mundi the Socialist Solidarity Movement changed its name to the Axis Mundi Socialist Solidarity Movement, although this name is never used and instead AM Socialist Solidarity Movement, often shortened to AMSSM, is most commonly used.

Currently there is a movement primarily located within the 12 May Committee to change the name of the party to the AM Situationist Solidarity Movment yet this has little support.

Ideology
The AMSSM was founded upon the twin ideals of:


 * Socialism
 * Secularism/Atheism

In Feburary 2234, Manouchian extended this by announcing the "Socialist Solidarity Movement's Five Ideological Pillars for the Development of Keymon". These are essentially the five issues which the party see as key to the future of the nation and are as follows:


 * Republicanism


 * Economic equality


 * Environmentalism


 * Secularism


 * Social equality

The "five pillars" raised concern amomgst others parties as they expressed the party's commitment to a republic as opposed to the current Duchy style of governing.

The party also finds itself strongly influenced in terms of morality by the now defunct Situationist International.

March 2232 - October 2237
The SSM was founded in March 2232.

Following the departure of the Red Star Movement from Keymon the AMSSM, which had previously existed as a clandestine organisation, decided to venture into official action to fill the gap vacated on the left. To do so resulted in much outrage from the major political parties with the Christian Democrats exclaiming "the last thing Keymon needs is another band of terrorists". This was a reference to the rumoured participation of the party in the Red Star Movment/Duchy People's Party insurgency that cost many lives. However Internal Affairs Spokesperson Elizabeth Camus responded by stating "whilst it may be true that certain elements of the party supported the goals of insurgency we have no intention of starting another war". In order to validate this claim the party came under pressure to dismantle its militia the "Partisan Guerilla Unit". This was promptly done and compromises reached, such as giving the role of Defence Spokesperson to the milita leader, General Valentino III. Yet despite this elements of the PGU, although severely weakened, still remain and are led by a mysterious individual known only to the outside world as Âsék. There is no information on Âsék, not even their gender yet they are rumoured to be preparing for an all out assault on, first, the leadership of the AMSSM and, secondly, Keymon itself.

As soon as the party entered the political battleground of Keymon it immediately found things difficult. The bast majority bills it suggested were shot down by the dominantly right wing legislature as well as the Keymon press. This time (between the parties formation and its first election) has been described by Chairman Petroleum as as "the era of nothingness" as the party had no seats in the legislative assembly and as such has little power. Yet despite this, the AM-SSM did manage to get two bills passed during "the era of nothingness", there were as follows:


 * The April 2235 "Enough! End the slavery to guns" bill removed mandatory military service.
 * The September 2235 "Restore Employment (Version 2)" bill allowed the government to nationalise failing industries which provide vital goods or services.

In 2235 the AMSSM made major gains in terms of international cooperation by being inducted into the Synodus Axis Mundi organisation as well as being instrumental in the formation of the "Hobrazia-Keymon-Likatonia United Left Front".

October 2237 - October 2243
The October 2237 election was the first one that the AMSSM fought and it was able to win 19 seats in the 120 seat legislature. This allowed them to become the third largest party in Keymon and was a result viewed as successful, especially in light of the short amount of time it had been existence. Yet despite this the AMSSM remained far detached from the Christian Democrats and the Just As Silly Party who won 43 and 21 seats respectably.

Following this election the AMSSM was most active in opposing the Christian Democrat budget cuts of the early 2240's. It also became active in the movement to establish a national language of Keymon.

Party leadership
The AM-SSM operates a unique Central Committee system in which both the roles of Party Chairman and General Secretary exist. However whilst Missak Sergei Manouchian is well known to the public and regularly speaks at meetings, Gustav Petroleum is much more reclusive. This has led to the assumption that the role of Chairman is a much more 'back room' position. Yet this does not shed any light on which individual has more power in deciding party policy.


 * General Secretary: Missak Sergei Manouchian
 * Party Chairman: Gustav Petroleum

Other Members
* Foreign Affairs Spokesperson - Serge Yamagata * Internal Affairs Spokesperson - Elizabeth Camus * Finance Spokesperson - Igor Sologub * Defence Spokesperson - General Valentino III * Justice Spokesperson - François Moustaki * Infrastructure and Transport Spokesperson - Heraclius Simpson * Health and Social Services Spokesperson - Gevorg Adamov * Education and Culture Spokesperson - Gethin Edwards * Science and Technology Spokesperson - Rosa Michaeleous * Food and Agriculture Spokesperson - Harry Kazak * Environment and Tourism Spokesperson - Sarah Sibelius * Trade and Industry Spokesperson - Hans Marx

Party factions
Although the AM Socialist Solidarity Movement is a unified party, within it members regularly orgainise themselves into different groupings yet the Party Chairman and General Secretary are required to be "faction neutral". Currently there are four main factions:

¡Ya basta!
The largest faction in the AMSSM, ¡Ya basta! are a pseudo-revolutionary organisation led by Internal Affairs Spokesperson Elizabeth Camus. They represent the most radical element of the party and have often come into conflict with Evolution over party policy. Officially ¡Ya basta! have renounced violence as a political tool yet they are rumoured to sympathise with the dispanded PGU.

Evolution
Evolution take their name from the idea of 'Evolution not Revolution' and as such as seen as the most moderate faction in the AMSSM. Despite still acting in 'the socialist interest' the group do no engage in radical proposals such as intensive land reform and count amongst their supporters Finance Spokesperson Igor Sologub and Education and Culture Spokesperson Gethin Edwards. Throughout the years Evolution have had a number of conflicts with ¡Ya basta! with a low level member of the latter onece exclaiming "the only thing Evolution want is the evolution of capitalism, we should chuck them in the ditch where they belong continue the true path of socialism". This comment however was discredited by the leadership of ¡Ya basta! and the member concerned is now rumoured to be a member of the PGU.

You gotta love love
The aptly named You gotta love love faction are led by Foreign Affairs Spokesperson Serge Yamagata and represent, as one member once described them, "the hippies that refused to die". Their proposals are predominantly based around increasing civil liberties, specifically in regard to displays of affection yet beyond that they are seen to support ¡Ya basta! in most decisions.

The 12 May Committee
Led by Justice Spokesperson François Moustaki, the 12 May Committee are named after the date on which the Keymon philosopher Pierre X died. They adhere to his idea of "noveau-culture" and as such seek to implement the following:


 * The destruction of the banking industry
 * Banning of cars
 * Electricity to be rationed

This has been called an attempt to establish a "year zero" yet the 12 May Committee remain the smallest faction in the party.