(1) Reforming and Improving the Leadership System and
Working Mechanism
Leadership of the state and society by the CPC mainly
refers to its political, ideological and organizational leadership, that is, the
Party exercises leadership in line with its basic theory, program and line, by
formulating major principles and policies, making suggestions on legislation,
recommending cadres for important positions, conducting ideological education,
and giving full play to the role of the Party organizations and members.
In practice, the CPC sticks to scientific and democratic
rule and rule in accordance with the law, constantly reforms and improves the
leadership system and working mechanism, and, acting on the principle that the
ruling party commands the overall situation and coordinates the efforts of all
quarters, standardizes relations between Party committees and the people's
congresses, the governments, the CPPCC organizations as well as the mass
organizations. The Party committees, playing the role as the core of leadership
over all other organizations at corresponding levels, support these
organizations in assuming their responsibilities independently and making
concerted efforts in their work, and make sure that the Party's line, principles
and policies as well as major decisions and work arrangements of Party
committees are implemented through the Party organizations and Party members in
these organizations. At the same time, Party committees support the people's
congresses in carrying out their functions as organs of state power in
accordance with the law, ensuring that the Party's views become the will of the
state and that candidates recommended by the Party organizations become leading
cadres of the organs of state power through democratic discussions and legal
procedures, and exercising supervision over them. They support the governments
in fulfilling their statutory functions and performing their official duties in
accordance with the law; support the judicial organs in exercising their
judicial and procuratorial authorities independently and justly in accordance
with the law; support the CPPCC committees in performing their functions of
political consultation, democratic supervision and participating in the
administration and discussion of state affairs by focusing on the two major
principles of unity and democracy; strengthen cooperation with the democratic
parties and bring into full play the characteristics and advantages of China's
socialist political party system; and support the trade unions, Communist Youth
League organizations, women's federations and other mass organizations to work
independently in accordance with the law and their respective constitutions so
as to act better as a bridge between the Party and the masses of all walks of
life.
(2) Developing Inner-Party Democracy
Promoting people's democracy by improving inner-Party
democracy is an important component of the CPC's democratic rule. In recent
years, the CPC has been unceasingly progressing in promoting inner-Party
democracy.
- Making efforts to establish and improve a mechanism to
guarantee the democratic rights of Party members. In September 2004, the CPC
Central Committee promulgated the revised Regulations on the Guarantee of Rights
of CPC Members, which, on the basis of the rights and obligations prescribed in
the Constitution of the CPC and by summarizing the new experience gained in
developing inner-Party democracy, improves the procedures for CPC members to
exercise their democratic rights, thus further institutionalizing and
standardizing the exercise of such rights.
- Improving and perfecting the system of Party congress.
The CPC has established the system of congress in its organizations at and above
the county level. The national congress and the congresses of the provinces
(autonomous regions and municipalities directly under the central government),
cities divided into districts, autonomous prefectures, counties (banners),
autonomous counties, cities not divided into districts and municipal districts
are held once every five years. To give full scope to the Party congresses at
all levels, since the end of the 1980s the CPC has tried out the system of
permanent Party congress in 12 cities, counties and urban districts in five
provinces, with satisfactory results. The CPC Central Committee has decided to
adopt the system of motion-raising by Party congress delegates, extend the
experiment with the system of permanent Party congress to more cities and
counties, and actively explore ways and forms that can give better play to the
role of delegates when Party congresses are not in session.
- Giving full play to the role of plenary sessions of
Party committees. In accordance with the principle of collective leadership,
democratic centralism, individual consultation and decision-making by meeting,
the CPC endeavors to improve the rules of procedure and the decision-making
mechanism within Party committees, with priority given to strengthening the role
of plenary sessions of Party committees at all levels. At the third, fourth and
fifth plenums of the 16th CPC Central Committee, General Secretary Hu Jintao of
the CPC Central Committee, on behalf of the Standing Committee of the Political
Bureau, delivered a work report to the Central Committee. This represented a
significant move taken by the new generation of the central collective
leadership to give better play to the role of the plenum. Leaders of local Party
committees at all levels now, at the requirement of the CPC Central Committee,
report on their work to and accept the supervision of the plenums of the Party
committees at the corresponding level.
- Reforming and improving the system of inner-Party
elections. The CPC has constantly reformed and improved the method of candidacy
nomination in inner-Party elections, and the nominations by Party organizations
and Party members are combined in democratic recommendations. The ratio in
competitive elections has been raised appropriately and the scope of direct
elections of leaders of grassroots Party organizations has been gradually
expanded.
- Establishing and improving the mechanism of
inner-Party supervision. In December 2003, the CPC Central Committee promulgated
the Regulations on Inner-Party Supervision of the CPC (trial version), which,
for the first time and in the form of inner-Party code, makes comprehensive
provisions concerning the focus, ways, methods and other major issues regarding
inner-Party supervision, and clearly states that leading organs and leading
cadres at all levels, especially principal ones, are the main target of
inner-Party supervision. In the same month, the CPC Central Committee
promulgated the revised Regulations of the CPC on Disciplinary Punishments,
which specifies the punishments for all breaches of discipline by Party members
in the new situation.
