BY NANCY ROSENSTOCK
NEW YORK - The Socialist Workers Party announced its slate for the city elections here at a July 6 parade of 10,000 people celebrating Hong Kong returning to China. Olga Rodríguez, a member of the International Association of Machinists and the editor of the book The Politics of Chicano Liberation, is the party's candidate for mayor of New York City. The other candidates are Wendy Lyons, a member of the Union of Needletrades, Industrial and Textile Employees, for comptroller; Young Socialists member Shoghi Fret for public advocate; Brian Taylor, a staff writer for the Militant and a leader of the YS for Manhattan borough president, and rail worker Margrethe Siem, a member of the United Transportation Union, for Manhattan district attorney.

In a statement released to the press at the parade, the socialist candidates said, "We join with billions of workers and farmers throughout the world in celebrating the end of 156 years of British colonial rule in Hong Kong and the reversion of that territory back to Chinese sovereignty."

The statement continues, "We condemn Washington's efforts to portray China's sovereign right to replace British troops in Hong Kong with its own soldiers as a military threat. It is Washington that has over 100,000 troops stationed in Asia. A U.S. military force of 37,000 is stationed on the south Korean border to maintain the partition imperialism imposed on that nation when its army failed to defeat the workers state established in the north."

Supporters of the Socialist Workers Campaign will be petitioning from July 8 to August 12 to get Rodríguez, Lyons, and Fret on the ballot. Thousands of people will be introduced to a working-class alternative in the elections as supporters of the socialist campaign fan out across New York City to collect 12,000 signatures, well over the 7,500 required. Anyone who would like to volunteer to be a part of this effort can call the campaign office at (718) 399-7257.  
 
 
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