| The Communist Party of China is an integral
body organized under its program and constitution, on the principles
of democratic centralism.
The basic principles of democratic centralism are:
a) Individual Party members are subordinate to the Party
organizations, the minority is subordinate to the majority,
the lower Party organizations are subordinate to the higher
Party organizations, and all the constituent organizations
and members of the Party are subordinate to the National Congress
and the Central Committee of the Party;
b) The Party's leading organizations at all levels, except
the representative offices sent out by them and the Party
organizations in non-CPC organizations, will be produced through
election;
c) The highest leading body of the CPC is the National Congress
and the Central Committee it creates. The local Party leading
bodies at various levels are the local Party congress at various
levels and the committees they create. The Party's committees
at various levels are responsible and report their work to
the Party's congress at the same level;
d) The Party's organizations at higher level should often
listen to the opinions of their subordinates as well as of
Party members and the masses and solve their problems in time.
The Party organizations at lower level should not only ask
for instructions from and report their work to their superiors
but also independently solve the problems within their own
jurisdiction. The Party organizations at different levels
should exchange information, supports and supervision. They
should enable Party members to understand and participate
more in Party's affairs;
e) Party's committees at various levels practice a system
of integrating the collective leadership with individual responsibility.
All major issues shall be decided upon by the Party committees
after democratic discussion. Members of the Party committees
shall perform their duties according to the decisions of the
committees and the division of labor; and
f) The Party forbids all forms of personality cult. It should
be guaranteed that the activities of Party leaders are under
the supervision of the Party and the people, and meanwhile
that the prestige of all leaders who represent the interests
of the Party and people are safeguarded.
The delegates to the CPC congress at various levels and committees
are elected by the Party members and their representatives
by secret ballot. The voters have the right to learn about
the candidates, require the change of candidates, vote against
all candidates, and to vote for others. No organization or
individual shall force voters to vote for or against a certain
candidate by any means. If there is a case of violating the
Party's Constitution during the election of various local
Party congresses and grass-roots congresses, the Party committee
at the higher lever, upon investigation and verification,
shall make the decision to declare the ballot invalid and
adopt corrective measures, and then report to its superior
for examination and approval. The execution of the decision
shall be officially announced upon its approval.
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