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)