CPC to expand intra-Party democracy: communique

Xinhua.com
BEIJING-- A communique issued Friday upon the closing of a four-day plenary session of the Communist Party of China (CPC) Central Committee said the Party's internal democracy was "the lifeblood of the Party" and the CPC would "expand intra-Party democracy to develop people's democracy."

The Fourth Plenary Session of the 17th CPC Central Committee endorsed the decision of the CPC Central Committee on major issues on strengthening and improving Party building under the new circumstances.

The communique said the Party would firmly push forward the intra-Party democracy by sticking to "democratic centralism," with democracy as a base and centralism as a guide.

The Party must "ensure the democratic rights of its members" and strengthen the intra-Party democracy at the grassroots level.

It would "extensively absorb the will and views of all Party members and bring their initiative and creativity to a full play," the document said.

"The CPC will ensure the unity of people of all ethnic groups by intensifying the Party's strength and unity," it said.

The communique said the Party would uphold and improve its leadership system.

It would also improve the systems of Party congress, Party officials' elections and democratic decision-making mechanism within the CPC.

It said the Party must stick to a democratic, open, competitive, credible and vigorous mechanism of selecting Party officials in order to foster more excellent cadres.

Party officials must be "revolutionary, young, knowledge-based and professional" and the CPC must explore extensively to select cadres to ensure the Party boasts excellent members, it said.

Moral integrity should be highlighted when selecting officials and their ability of "promoting scientific development and social harmony" should be improved, it added.

The communique said the Party's grassroots organizations were the foundation of the entire Party work and its combat power, and were "fighting bastions" in implementing the CPC policies.

Efforts should be made to boost the vitality of grassroots Party committees and members, it said.

Hu Jintao, general secretary of the CPC Central Committee, delivered a work report at the session, which was held here from Sept. 15 to 18.

Some delegates to the 17th CPC National Congress who were in charge of Party affairs at the grassroots, and experts and scholars on Party building studies also attended the meeting.