The Communist BlocBoard

Overview
This resolution aims to repeal GA#419, which primarily prohibits member nations from denying a non-imprisoned eligible individual the right to vote. The caveat is that GAR#419 also allows non-enfranchisement of criminals under parole or probation and also under incarceration, meaning that GA#419 effectively allows, not restricts denying to prisoners the right to vote. This is the loophole that this repeal aims to solve.

Recommendation
The Communist Bloc's Ministry of World Assembly Affairs has not come to a clear recommendation after a period of voting and discussion. Here is the Pros and Cons Analysis for this Resolution:

PROS:

• It would no longer be allowable to restrict suffrage for petty crimes (as allowed in GAR#419 Art. (1)(a)(I) such as "voted fraud and other related acts") or for parole or probation as is in a principled democratic socialist society.
• The definition of "criminal" is vague and ambiguous in GAR#419.
• GAR#419 does not really expressly mandate certain acts and only allows them, thus it is unclear what effect its repeal might hold.

CONS:

• The banning of disenfranchisement for some criminals deemed to be such in a socialist society might limit the ability of some leftist polities to combat reaction.
• The replacement proposal seems to imply an integration of criminals and prisoners in the bourgeoisie democratic system, which can limit leftist agitation and organization in the prisons.
• The WA once again tip-toes on the issue of incarceration, it desires to allow and condone such a capitalist institution rather than simply abolish prisons en masse.

Supplementary Opinions:

My own opinion as MoWAA: (from Feyrisshire)

A lot of the provisions in GAR#419 can be problematic for a socialist democracy even if Article 1 expressly prohibits member nations from denying a non-imprisoned eligible individual the right to vote, such as Article 1(a)(i) which allows non-enfranchisement for perpetrators of petty crime such as "voted fraud and other related acts". Queue the fact that "voter fraud" is often used as a euphemism to deny enfranchisement to minorities by reactionaries such as in Amerikka. Another problematic is non-enfranchisement for people in parole or probation.

However, the integration of prisoner populations to the bourgeoisie democratic system is just as problematic. In America for example, prisoners have often proved to be one of the most revolutionary groups of leftists due to the fact that they experience heightened levels of repression and oppression from the imperialist system. Revolutionary leftist groups such as Black Panther Party and the Young Patriots have organized among prisoners for example.

It would be better for a capitalist state to restrict these groups the right to vote to hasten their revolutionary fervor, rather than integrate them into bourgeoisie democracy and channel such revolutionary energies into, say Democrats for example. Any replacement resolution Tinhampton or any other WA Author would want to write to allow prisoners the right to vote would only play to this and lead to parallels of Joe Biden visiting prisons.

However, as GAR#419 simply allows some of the said acts, and does not expressly either prohibit or mandate them, the significance of such repeal is unclear.

I would rather vote ABSTAIN or NAY if this comes to vote.

The Communist Bloc's Ministry of World Assembly Affairs will not issue a clear recommendation for the General Assembly Resolution under vote Repeal: “Voting Equality for Freed Inmates”, though we encourage nations of TCB to consider the above Pros and Cons Analysis and other opinions upon deciding how to vote.