The G/GPUSA Congress and the ASGP Conference.

• Author: Nelson, Susan
• Position: Greens/Green Party USA, Association of State Green Parties

Democracy requires struggle. The familiar parliamentary form, in most places, is narrowly based and limited to the rich and powerful. Whatever remnants remain need constant renewal. Electoral politics is only one of several arenas. Democracy must be sought in the community and the work place as well as the campaign trail.

Since its founding a decade ago, the Greens/Green Party USA (G/GPUSA) has pursued both electoral and movement politics. Within its eclectic membership, it has sought to keep democracy alive while challenging the present US electoral system. The more narrowly based Association of State Green Parties (ASGP), with a following of potential candidates and traditional party focus, has consistently sought to belittle and dismember G/GPUSA. It has wanted to take away G/GPUSA's name and website, to remove its party status, and to drive it from the national scene.

Liberals plan burial of activism

The 2001 G/GPUSA Congress at Carbondale, IIlinois and the ASGP Conference in Montecito, California a week later can best be understood in terms of a conflict between grassroots activists and liberals. The ASGP funded and organized the 2000 Green Party Denver Convention that nominated Ralph Nader for President. G/GPUSA supported the convention, despite being rebuffed as a cosponsor. G/GPUSA volunteers embraced the Nader campaign, including going door to door. The official Nader campaign was paid for by outside donors.

Hiding behind Nader's name, ASGP supporters authored the Boston Proposal that would have replaced G/GPUSA's national status with its own. It appeared that if they could knock "party" out of the G/GPUSA's name and website, ASGP would not have to share funds from the election. This point became moot when Nader, in spite of a spirited and intelligent campaign, did not achieve the required 5% of the vote.

ASGP selected a negotiating team to arrange the death of G/GPUSA. Harvard mediators were hired and seemed to snow naive negotiators chosen to represent G/GPUSA.

The Federal Elections Commission (FEC) had recognized G/GPUSA in 1996 as being a national party for the purposes of FEC election law. The ASGP had no national committee and no national standing. The ASGP wanted its less progressive platform to be accepted without changes. G/GPUSA was willing to develop its platform. It had a national office and a membership base. The ASGP had a few people at the top, a post office box, and a listserv, but no national office.

G/GPUSA...