Critical evaluation

A socialist system provides for particular rights such as right to work, education, social security, rest, wage, vote, membership of social organization, etc. Heywood points that ‘The Soviet Constitutions of 1936 and 1977 … established a truly impressive array of individual rights.’⁹² However, these rights could not be realized because of the overwhelming presence of the Communist Party. Liberal writers have criticized the Marxian position for ignoring the rights of the individual. Some writers from the erstwhile Socialist systems such as R. A. Medvedev of Russia and Stojanovic of Yugoslavia were also critical of the socialist system and absence of rights. Stojanovic pointed out that ‘Socialism has been most disappointing in its failure to guarantee the rights of assembly, expression of one’s opinions, social criticism, the strike and demonstration.’⁹³ He insisted that right to strike must be recognized by socialist democracy.