UN RENOUVEAU DE LA PARTICIPATION ASSOCIATIVE ? L'engagement et le militantisme au sein du comité Attac Isère

1.2.3.2 Modification of the statutes

The recognition of the local committees necessarily passes by the modification of the statutes. It is about a relatively complex process^145(*). First of all, it is necessary that the turnover proposes a modification which is voted in the majority of two thirds of the members present^146(*). The extraordinary General meeting is then convened, it can deliberate only in the only condition which two thirds of the members present or are represented^147(*). Lastly, the decisions relating to the modification of the statutes must be made in the majority of two thirds^148(*). Many conditions thus make the modification improbable. Bernard Cassen recalled, moreover, during the meeting of the turnover of the 11/11/2000, which there are the numerous ones « difficulties of surmounting for a possible modification of the statutes »^149(*). Moreover, as Thomas notices it, the modification of the statutes is made all the more difficult as the proposal, before being subjected to AG, must be adopted by two thirds of the A.C. But, the founder members being in a majority they can block any proposal^150(*).

Inquired estimate that the founder members blocked the statutes during the creation of association (Julie estimates that the statutes are « buckled »). Moreover, as recalled by Luc, very often the turnover is not defended any. It would be about a means used in order to avoid the infiltration^151(*). However, Luc estimates that that testifies, above all, owing to the fact that leaders « fear a catch to be able of the local committees on association ». It fears besides that the militants isérois are not taken for dissidents. Being the principal ones concerned with the decisions taken by the national, the militants of Attac estimate that it is legitimate that the local committees are recognized. It thus appears necessary to them to amend.

Thomas: After there are organizations, associations, trade unions which are represented and of the newspapers which have a voice and this college of the founder members are represented by 18 seats. And after you have representatives, between brackets, geographical of the local committees, which are 12... If my memories are good. But they do not represent by the local committees, in the direction where there are no elections and there no was candidature of each committee... That it is done a little in an abstract way, one gathered by area. For example the local committees of the Rhone-Alps area and it is a person of Lyon. But one decided like that, it did not have an election there. They do not have to be able, if you want. They are there only to establish the link between the local committees of their area and the national Board of directors. And if there is a decision to take, it is taken in the majority of the national Board of directors and thus of the eighteen founder members, on the other hand there is a discussion with the regional representatives which is only advisory. They do not have voting rights.

Julie: You know the statutes of Attac? In the statutes of Attac it is buckled, there are the founder members who are 18 and there are twelve representatives of the local committees.

F.E: And the fact that the local committees aren't recognized in the statutes, you interpret it how?

Luc: This will not to amend, like says it Cassen, it is to avoid the infiltration. It said it and it repeated it, it is like that that that was envisaged in the beginning and they locked voluntarily. There is a certain number of members who fear what they call parliamentarism, i.e. there are debates between the local committees which do not agree, that there is full with debates which make waste time. I do not know too what that covers? For me they fear a catch to be able of the local committees on their association [...] It is what they fear at the national level and it is what we fear if one sets up this coordination of the local committees, one fears to be taken for separatists whereas it is not at all the case.

In order to engage a reform of the statutes, an abstract coordination, between certain local committees, then installation itself in a progressive way. Luc explains how it put himself in relation to some local committees whose claims were similar. A list Internet « closed » was created which makes it possible to the members of this coordination to disseminate information relating to the national turnover and to constitute common proposals. Thus for AG of St Brieuc, a motion was proposed with the national turnover of coordination with other local committees^152(*). This one was in addition refused. On the other hand, the day of AG, two wishes were deposited with the agreement of the national persons in charge. These two wishes were the subject then of a vote in A.C.^153(*) the first wish related to the organization of national Conferences of the local committees (CNCL) and the second wish aimed at organizing a commission in order to study the advisability of reforming the statutes. This commission is made up of twelve members of the turnover and twelve representatives of the local committees^154(*).

Luc: Last year, I attended the summer school and there were some exchanges on Attac room and one started to create a kind of closed list Internet. By closed with everyone but between us, so that one can discuss collectively and that one can make pass from the things to the national general assembly, since there are local committees which are completely beside this aspect of the things. They do not want that. There was besides a debate at the time of the last CNCL... On Attac room one had seen a certain number of positions which approached the others and during the summer school one met people that one felt about sure our positions. It is there that one stopped a motion, a first project of motion, between us and by saying that it is necessary that one makes pass that on the unit. One sent that on Attac room, by saying here are what one seeks but that was not possible to find a consensus on top, all the local committees discussed each one in their corner and there no was consensus, except with Attac Rennes with which one said at the end of a certain time: dissatisfaction, because the national general assembly was going soon to arrive and one sent an official document signed by Attac Rennes and Attac Isere on the list. For Rennes, that occurred like us. With Attac Rennes, one is in similar positions.

Thomas: And one put that on the public place, because one has nothing to hide, there are other local committees which have also a standpoint and which joined this step and which made projections also on their side on particular problems. And thus one was among the promoters of what is called a wish to the French National Assembly of Saint-Brieuc on the modification... Finally possible modification appropriateness of the statutes, to go towards more democracy within Attac. And thus the representation of the local committees [...] It was one of motions of the General meeting. It is a mandate which the General meeting of Saint-Brieuc in October 2000 received and which setting up itself. It is a mandate. One will ask at the time of the General meeting of 2001, she will take place in Marseilles I believe. It is really something on which one is very vigilant and Luc is somebody who knows well the subject and which is in bond with the other participants in this collective of local committees for which all the questions of democracy are important.

F.E: And had motion been done with other local committees?

Thomas: Yes with other local committees but it is us who presented it [...] Then, there were Parisian local committees, there was Rennes, there was Aveyron, there were Yvelines I believe, Montpellier or Toulouse [...] There was many exchanges by mall and then at the meetings... At the time of the national conferences one A spoke, and there are bonds which are created and then it is seen that one goes in the same direction, one answers oneself. And then one met to speak about it a little and so on what. Development of about a joint day for example, development of about a joint day which is interesting for example because you arrive with proposals...

Luc: And when I see what is currently held [in the commission of reform of the statutes] I say that I was right well not not to be there. They met a certain number of times and for each time somebody called in the commission «it would be necessary to change that or that» it is answered him that it is not possible to change the statutes. There are of them nevertheless some in the commission which try to change the statutes, all semi-official information which I had it is by one of these people.

There exists in Attac certain problems of coordination between the room and the national. The militants isérois estimate that they do not profit from the recognition which is to them within association. They appear besides among « slingers » which allowed the constitution of an authority of meeting between committees (the CNCL). These remarks encourage us to be interested at greater length in the problems of « internal democracy » which exists within association. By this term, it is necessary to hear all the procedures (official and semi-official) which take place and which can lend to a debate or a dispute. How the persons in charge for Attac they were given in question and for which reasons ? Which are the reports/ratios which the militants isérois with the leaders maintain ? The committee isérois does not present T it not him even dysfunctions ?

* ¹⁴⁵ Cf, «  Flow chart of the process of reform of the statutes  », appendix n°3, p. 9.

* ¹⁴⁶ Cf, appendix n°8, Article 10-9, p. 22.

* ¹⁴⁷ Ibid, article 10-7, p. 22.

* ¹⁴⁸ Ibid, p. 22.

* ¹⁴⁹ «  He [Bernard Cassen] announces, in addition, the difficulties of surmounting for a possible modification of the statutes, because of the very high quorums required with each stage. For current manpower, for example, it would be necessary that more than 14.000 members vote on first convocation, and more than 11.000, on the second convocation. However with St-Brieuc, they were only 4200 to vote...  ». Attac France, «  Report/ratio of the Board of directors  », 11/11/2000, p. 3.

* ¹⁵⁰ In addition, it should be recalled that they are the founder members who initially wrote the statutes of association. They are thus at the same time judges and parts.

* ¹⁵¹ A publication of the national direction specifies that «  This provision [the composition of the turnover] was designed to ensure the perenniality and the pluralism of Attac, while discouraging by very tentative advance of infiltration by an organized minority. The founder members, whose very great majority are people «  morals  », constitute the useful guarantee of the pluralism of Attac  ». Attac Franc, «  All on bases of Ciotat. Elections  : instructions  », Lines of Attac. Paris, n°3, 09/1999, p. 3.

* ¹⁵² The local committees of the VAr, Rennes and Paris criticized, at the time of AG, the operating mode of association have regard to the lack of democracy. Cf Forcari (Christophe), «  Attac in full crisis of growth  », Release, October 30, 2000.

* ¹⁵³ Attac France, «  Report/ratio of the Board of directors of the 11/11/2000  », p. 3.

* ¹⁵⁴ Work of this commission seems for the moment to be directed towards the idea that a reform of the statutes is not desirable.