Li Yuanchao, head of the Organization
Department of the Central Committee of the Communist Party of China
(CPC), released an article in Thursday's People's Daily on
how to push forward intra-Party democracy and strengthen Party
unity.
The article says intra-Party democracy is the lifeblood of the
CPC. The development course of the Party has repeatedly proved that
only when the intra-Party practices are fully fulfilled can the
Party cause be prosperous and emerging problems be corrected in
time. When intra-Party practices are weakened and destroyed, the
Party cause will suffer defeat.
The article calls for expanding intra-Party democracy. In the
meantime, Party member's democratic rights should be safeguarded
and their principal positions should be respected.
The Party Constitution and the regulations on safeguarding the
rights of Party members both stipulate the democratic rights of
Party members, such as democratic participation, election,
decision-making and oversight. All Party members, whatever their
position, equally enjoy all democratic rights. Any organizations
and individuals should not infringe upon those rights.
The article says practices have shown that inadequate
intra-Party democracy is always coincident with inadequate
protection of Party member's rights. Therefore, to safeguard the
democratic rights of Party members is the foundation of intra-Party
democracy.
To expand intra-Party democracy, the transparency of Party
affairs should be promoted and a democratic discussion environment
should be created. The transparency of Party affairs is a
prerequisite of intra-Party democracy, says the article.
Important decisions on the Party or the nation's significant
affairs should be made after full intra-Party discussions. The
leadership body should make resolutions after fully soliciting
opinions from grassroots organizations. The grassroots Party
organization should make decisions after soliciting opinions from
Party members. Therefore, extensive participation and effective
supervision of Party members to the Party affairs could be
realized, the article says.
The article says that in order to expand intra-Party democracy,
it is necessary to improve the system of Party congresses by
adopting a tenure system for their delegates which ensures that
Party members can exert their rights during the close-session
period and by implementing a system of Party congresses with a
fixed term on a trial basis in selected counties and cities and by
ensuring the Party committee, rather than its standing committee,
to play the bigger role in decision-making.
The article says the Political Bureau of the CPC Central
Committee should regularly report its work to plenary sessions of
the Central Committee and accept its oversight; the standing
committees of local Party committees at all levels should do
likewise to plenary sessions of local Party committees and accept
their oversight. The stipulation attaches great importance to
strengthening intra-Party oversight and guaranteeing proper power
exertion.
According to the report made by Hu Jintao at the 17th Party
national congress, "We will introduce a system of voting for use by
local Party committees in discussing and deciding on major issues
and appointing cadres to important positions".
The system will prevent arbitrary decision-making by an
individual or a minority of people and will guarantee scientific
and democratic decision-making, says the article.
The report to the Party congress also said, "We will reform the
intra-Party electoral system and improve the system for nominating
candidates and electoral methods. We will spread the practice in
which candidates for leading positions in primary Party
organizations are recommended both by Party members and the public
in an open manner and by the Party organization at the next higher
level, gradually extending the direct election of leading members
in primary Party organizations to more places."
The stipulation clearly points out the direction of intra-Party
election reform, says the article.
The article also says Party unity is the lifeblood of the Party.
"All Party members must firmly uphold the centralized and unified
leadership of the Party, conscientiously abide by the Party's
political disciplines, always be in agreement with the CPC Central
Committee and resolutely safeguard its authority to ensure that its
resolutions and decisions are carried out effectively."
The article says all Party members must always be in accordance
with the CPC Central Committee in guiding principles, work
objectives and work deployment. Whatever the units and departments
are, whoever the Party members are and wherever they are, they must
resolutely follow the unified leadership of the CPC Central
Committee.
(Xinhua News Agency November 2, 2007)