Socialist Consultative Democracy
In a document on improving socialist consultative democracy released in 2015, the CPC Central Committee pointed out that consultative democracy is an important way to practice democracy under the CPC leadership. Extensive consultations are made before any decision concerning major issues of reform, development, or stability that affect people’s immediate interests is made or during its implementation, so as to reach consensus among the people.
The report to the 19th CPC National Congress pointed out that the essence of the people’s democracy is that the people get to discuss their own affairs. Consultative democracy is an important way of effecting Party leadership and a model and strength unique to China’s socialist democracy.
Socialist consultative democracy is an important way to realize people’s democracy with Chinese features. As a distinctive Chinese political institution, the CPPCC is a major channel for socialist consultative democracy, and its committees are special consultative bodies.
The report to the 19th CPC National Congress required efforts to be made to advance extensive, multilevel, and institutionalized development of consultative democracy, and adopt a coordinated approach to promoting consultations carried out by political parties, people’s congresses, government departments, CPPCC committees, people’s organizations, communities, and social organizations. The institutions of consultative democracy need to be strengthened, and complete procedures and practices be developed to enable the people’s broad, continuous, and intensive participation in day-to-day political activities.
社會主義協商民主
2015年中共中央印發的《關于加強社會主義協商民主建設的意見》中指出:協商民主是在中國共產黨領導下,人民內部各方面圍繞改革發展穩定重大問題和涉及群眾切身利益的實際問題,在決策之前和決策實施之中開展廣泛協商,努力形成共識的重要民主形式。中共十九大報告中指出,有事好商量,眾人的事情由眾人商量,是人民民主的真諦。協商民主是實現中國共產黨的領導的重要方式,是中國社會主義民主政治的特有形式和獨特優勢。社會主義協商民主,具有鮮明的中國特色,是人民民主的重要形式。人民政協是具有中國特色的制度安排,是社會主義協商民主的重要渠道和專門協商機構。中共十九大報告要求,推動協商民主廣泛、多層、制度化發展,統籌推進政黨協商、人大協商、政府協商、政協協商、人民團體協商、基層協商以及社會組織協商。加強協商民主制度建設,形成完整的制度程序和參與實踐,保證人民在日常政治生活中有廣泛持續深入參與的權利。