The unity of party leadership, running of the country by the people, and law-based governance
Leadership by the Party, running of the country by the people, and law-based governance were the three major issues Deng Xiaoping mulled over regarding China's political structural reform following the Third Plenary Session of the 11th CPC Central Committee. They were also the Party’s basic experience in promoting democracy and rule of law after standing committees were established in local people's congresses in 1979.
The 15th CPC National Congress held in 1997 pointed out, "The rule of law combines upholding the Party's leadership, giving rein to people's democracy and acting strictly in accordance with the law." The 16th CPC National Congress held in 2002 stated, "The key to developing socialist democratic politics is to integrate the requirements to uphold the leadership of the Party, have the people as the masters of the country, and follow the rule of law."
Party leadership is the fundamental guarantee for ensuring that the people run the country and governance in China is law-based; that the people run the country is an essential feature of socialist democracy; and law-based governance is the basic way for the Party to lead the people in governing the country. These three elements are integral components of socialist democracy.
In China's political life, our Party exercises leadership. Strengthening the centralized, unified leadership of the Party on the one hand and, on the other, supporting the people's congresses, governments, committees of the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference (CPPCC), courts, and procuratorates in performing their functions and playing their roles in accordance with the law and their charters, form a unified pair.
We will improve the way the Party exercises leadership and governance to ensure that it leads the people in effectively governing the country. We will expand the people's orderly political participation to see that in accordance with law they engage in democratic elections, consultations, decision-making, management, and oversight. We should uphold the unity, sanctity, and authority of China's legal system, and strengthen legal protection for human rights to ensure that the people enjoy extensive rights and freedoms as prescribed by law. We should both consolidate government and improve the institutions of democracy at the primary level to ensure the people's rights to be informed, to participate, to be heard, and to oversee.
We will improve mechanisms for law-based decision-making, and put in place mechanisms for the exercise of power that ensure sound decision-making, resolute execution, and effective oversight. Officials at all levels must have a deeper understanding of democracy, be democratic in their conduct, willingly accept public oversight, and perform as they should in their role as public servants.
堅持黨的領導、人民當家作主、依法治國有機統一
黨的領導、人民當家作主和依法治國是十一屆三中全會以后，鄧小平思考中國政治體制改革的三個基本問題，也是1979年地方人大常委會設立之后，在黨的領導下充分發揚民主和嚴格依法辦事的實踐中所取得的基本經驗。1997年召開的黨的十五大指出：“依法治國把堅持黨的領導、發揚人民民主和嚴格依法辦事統一起來”。2002年召開的黨的十六大正式提出了“發展社會主義民主政治，最根本的是要把堅持黨的領導、人民當家作主和依法治國有機統一起來”。黨的領導是人民當家作主和依法治國的根本保證，人民當家作主是社會主義民主政治的本質特征，依法治國是黨領導人民治理國家的基本方式，三者統一于我國社會主義民主政治偉大實踐。在中國政治生活中，黨是居于領導地位的，加強黨的集中統一領導，支持人大、政府、政協和法院、檢察院依法依章程履行職能、開展工作、發揮作用，這兩個方面是統一的。要改進黨的領導方式和執政方式，保證黨領導人民有效治理國家；擴大人民有序參與政治，保證人民依法實行民主選舉、民主協商、民主決策、民主管理、民主監督；維護國家法制統一、尊嚴、權威，加強人權法治保障，保證人民依法享有廣泛權利和自由。鞏固基層政權，完善基層民主制度，保障人民知情權、參與權、表達權、監督權。健全依法決策機制，構建決策科學、執行堅決、監督有力的權力運行機制。各級領導干部要增強民主意識，發揚民主作風，接受人民監督，當好人民公仆。
