Li Yuanchao, head of the Organization Department of the Communist Party of China (CPC) Central Committee, wrote an article on intra-Party democratic construction in People's Daily. The following are excerpts:

In his report to the 17th National Congress of the CPC, General Secretary Hu Jintao delivered an incisive exposition on the construction of intra-Party democracy and stressed that we should "expand intra-Party democracy and focus on enhancing the Party's solidarity and unity". The report summed up the spectacular innovations that have occurred in this area; made clear the basic concepts, major principles and important measures of intra-Party democratic construction; expanded its channels; diversified its forms; enriched its content; and further charted the course for building intra-Party democracy under new historical conditions. This should arouse the initiative of all Party members in promoting the great project of Party construction and advancing the great cause of socialism with Chinese characteristics.

The Party's more than 80-year history has proven that intra-Party democracy is the source of life for the Party. The report pointed out that: "Intra-Party democracy provides an important guarantee for improving the Party's creativity and reinforcing its solidarity and unity." This is a scientific conclusion made upon historical experiences.

Intra-Party democracy is the basic political principle of the Party of the working class. From the very beginning, the Communist Party has always been a democratic party for the working class with a democratic political structure and organization principles.

Intra-Party democracy provides an important guarantee keeping the Party flourishing. Only by fully advancing intra-Party democracy can the initiative and creativity of Party members be aroused to the maximum extent in realizing the Party's basic line, program and goals.

The report reviewed our experiences, both historically and at present, in advancing intra-Party democracy and set new requirements for further advancements, including guaranteeing Party members' democratic rights and improving the institutions for democracy.

We need to respect the principal position of Party members. This is the first time that the Party Congress report makes such a statement. And the principal position will be realized by guaranteeing Party members' democratic rights.

Defining institutions and standards is the key to developing a mature intra-Party democracy.

We should strictly implement democratic centralism. The wills of Party organizations at all levels and Party members shall be fully expressed to prevent arbitrary decision-making. And democracy-based centralism should be enhanced to prevent extreme democratization.

We will expand intra-Party democracy to develop people's democracy and increase intra-Party harmony to promote social harmony. This is an effective way to build a socialist democracy with Chinese characteristics.

We should proceed from actual conditions step-by-step in advancing intra-Party democracy. Intra-Party democracy should advance together with the Party's ideology-building, organization-building, improvement of the style of work and institution-building. And it should build a mutually promoting relationship with the socialist economic, political, cultural and social constructions.

A series of important measures should be taken to advance intra-Party democracy.

First, we should respect the principal positions of Party members and guarantee their democratic rights. The Party Constitution and the regulations protecting Party members' rights set the democratic rights of Party members, including the rights to participation, election, decision-making and supervision. We should constantly expand the channels for members to know about Party affairs and guarantee their rights.

Second, we should increase transparency in Party affairs and create favorable conditions for democratic discussions within the Party. Transparency in Party affairs is the prerequisite for intra-Party democracy. Important decisions about the Party or the nation's affairs should be made after full discussions within the Party; leading committees should make resolutions after soliciting opinions from grassroots branches; grassroots Party groups should make decisions after soliciting opinions from Party members so that the wide participation and effective supervision by grassroots branches and Party members can be realized.

Third, the system of Party congresses and the working mechanisms of local Party committees at all levels and their standing committees should be completed. It is necessary to adopt a tenure system for the delegates of the Party congress system, which provides a basis for delegates to fulfill their duties between sessions; to implement a system of Party congresses with a fixed term on a trial basis in selected counties, cities and districts, which aims to innovate the forms and regulate procedures and provide a theoretical and practical basis for its full implementation; to improve the working mechanisms of local Party committees at all levels and their standing committees and let the Party committees make decisions on major issues, regulating the relations between Party committees and their standing committees, and will promote the scientific and democratic decision-making of local Party committees.

Fourth, we should establish a sound system under which the Political Bureau of the Central Committee regularly reports its work to plenary sessions of the Central Committee and accepts their supervision, and the standing committees of local Party committees at all levels do likewise to plenary sessions of local Party committees and accept their supervision. The stipulation attaches great importance to strengthening intra-Party supervision and guaranteeing proper power exertion.

Fifth, we will introduce a system of voting by local Party committees in discussing and deciding on major issues and appointing cadres to important positions. Such a system will enable all members of the leading bodies to fully express their opinions and avoid arbitrary decision-making.

Sixth, the intra-Party electoral system should be reformed. The rights to vote and to be elected are the basic democratic rights of Party members. The electoral system is a basic system of intra-Party Democracy. The report of the 17th National Congress called for the improvement of the system for nominating candidates and electoral methods. This reflects the wishes of the Party members and the requirement of the times and pointed out the direction of the reform.

Seventh, the various ways to expand intra-Party democracy at the primary level should be explored. This is a basic and important point to advance intra-Party democracy. Provinces like Jiangsu and Sichuan have successfully tried direct elections of leading members of township Party committees in recent years. Such a method has allowed common Party members' right to know, to participate, to vote and to supervise, aroused their political enthusiasm and the grassroots cadres' initiatives to serve the people.

The report pointed out that: "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 extend direct elections of leading members in primary Party organizations to more places and explore various ways to expand intra-Party democracy at the primary level." This has opened more space for Party organnizations at all levels to enhance intra-Party democracy in a spirit of reform and innovation.

The Party's solidarity and unity are also its source of life. The report of the 17th National Congress clearly requires that: "All Party members must firmly uphold the centralized and unified leadership of the Party, conscientiously abide by the Party's political discipline, always be in agreement with the Central Committee and resolutely safeguard its authority to ensure that its resolutions and decisions are carried out effectively."

To enhance the solidarity and unity of the Party is to guarantee that we will achieve new victories in building a moderately prosperous society in all respects. The basic interest of the Chinese people lies in the solidarity and unity of the Party. Only by maintaining the Party's solidarity and unity and increasing the Party's creativity, cohesion and combat effectiveness can we guarantee national unity, ethnic solidarity and social harmony. All Party members should always take it as their duty to enhance the solidarity and unity of the Party and always be in accordance with the Central Committee in guiding principles and work objectives.

All Party members must consciously abide by the principle that individual Party members are subordinate to the organization, that the minority is subordinate to the majority, that lower Party organizations are subordinate to the higher ones and that all the constituent organizations and members of the Party are subordinate to its National Congress and Central Committee.

Party committees and branches at all levels and all Party members should work innovatively, integrate partial and local interests with overall interests and create new situations in building an overall well-off society along the path of socialism with Chinese characteristics.

(China Daily November 6, 2007)