![[Communist Party of the Portuguese Workers]](../images/p/pt}pctp.gif)
Last modified: 2014-12-20 by klaus-michael schneider
Keywords: pctp | mrpp | pctp/mrpp | hammer and sickle (yellow) | hammer and sickle: solid star | partido comunista dos trabalhadores portugueses | movimento reorganizativo do proletariado portugues |
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2:3 image by Jorge Candeias, 15 Aug 2005
Their flag is a red field with a yellow sickle and hammer in
the canton, and «PCTP/MRPP» in yellow below it.
Jorge Candeias, 26 Sep 1997
It is interesting to note that the star is solid yellow, not red with
yellow outline, as usual in soviet-inspired regalia.
This maoist party may have been influenced thence by
P.R.C. flag’s solid stars
(the chinese mainland communist party flag has
no stars, and the sickle has a very typical round handle), or may be due
simply to carelessness or sheer chance.
António Martins, 20 May 2004
There’s a possibility that they have a variation with a centered
emblem, but if they do, I’ve never seen it. And I’m pretty
sure that the official flag has the emblem in the canton, for having seen
it a number of times in the party’s propaganda times on TV during
electoral campaigns.
Jorge Candeias, 20 May 2004
The Communist Party of the Portuguese Workers / Reorganizational Movement
of the Proletariate Party (PCTP/MRPP - Partido Comunista dos Trabalhadores
Portugueses / Movimento Reorganizativo do Partido do Proletariado) is a
maoist party, very active in the 70s, especially with big mural paintings
(they got known as Meninos Rabinos Pintam Paredes, that is «Nasty
Children Painting Walls»)
Jorge Candeias, 26 Sep 1997
This maoist party was very active after the 1974 revolution (some even said
it was secretely backed by the US, to undermine the main
communist party) and in a way it still is. Though it never managed to elect
any MPs, a number of its members are well known polititians, notably some
former members who are now right-wing liberals, including the current
prime-minister [Durão Barroso, later president of the European
Council].
António Martins, 20 May 2004
![[Communist Party of the Portuguese Workers/MRPP]](../images/p/pt}pctp-m1.gif)
2:3 image by Jorge Candeias, 15 Aug 2005
The party started out simply as MRPP (Movimento Reorganizativo do Partido
do Proletariado) right after the portuguese 1974 revolution. At the time it
already used the current symbol, but, of course, the sigla was simply
"MRPP". Several examples of this can be seen in the party's website that
can be found at http://www.pctpmrpp.org/ . Just wait that all the old
posters download, or go to the link that say "Murais" (mural paintings) to
see some examples.
Jorge Candeias, 15 Aug 2005
![[PCTP/MRPP flag]](../images/p/pt}pctp-m2.gif)
2:3 image by Francisco Santos, 22 Mar 2003 and Jorge Candeias, 15 Aug 2005
Later on, the party adopted an alternative name, Partido Comunista dos
Trabalhadores Portugueses, which was added to the first one (resulting in
the largest party name I'm aware of anywhere in the world). The party
emblem reflected the change, of course, and the two siglas started to
appear one above the other in the flag. This is, as far as I know, the
current official flag of the party and it's the flag that we currently
show.
Jorge Candeias, 15 Aug 2005
You may notice in the party homepage that there's an animated GIF of a flag
flying with the sigla of the newest name only (PCTP). This is a variation
that I've never seen in any flag in the cloth but that is relatively common
in other materials. You'll see some examples in the posters I mentioned
above and the said GIF-image. As far as I know, it's unofficial, but in a sort of
official unofficial manner, if you know what I mean.
And that's it for this old maoist party, that never elected a single
deputee, but that would have elected 1 or 2 in all elections since 1975 if
the portuguese electoral system was perfectly proportional and didn't
benefit the two largest parties.
Jorge Candeias, 15 Aug 2005
