Editor's note: The resolution "On the Major Achievements and Historical Experience of the Party's Centenary Struggle" adopted by the Sixth Plenary Session of the 19th Central Committee of the Communist Party of China pointed out: "Promote the broad and multi-layered institutional development of socialist deliberative democracy and form China Featured deliberative democracy system”. Socialist deliberative democracy is a unique, unique, and unique form of democracy in my country's socialist democratic politics. It is an important part of the entire people's democratic system and vivid practice. The formation of a consultative democratic system with Chinese characteristics has greatly enriched democratic forms, broadened democratic channels, deepened democratic connotations, and demonstrated the unique charm and significant advantages of Chinese-style democracy. In order to showcase the results of research on socialist deliberative democracy in the theoretical community, the People's Political Consultative Conference special page published articles by some scholars from the Central Academy of Socialism ( Chinese Academy of Culture ), analyzing the basic theory and practice of socialist deliberative democracy from multiple levels. Grassroots practice in order to resonate with readers.
General Secretary Xi Jinping pointed out in his speech at the Central Committee of the Chinese People’s Political Consultative Conference Working Conference and the celebration of the 70th anniversary of the founding of the Chinese People’s Political Consultative Conference: “To develop socialist deliberative democracy, we must make good use of the advantages of democratic centralism.” Democratic centralism is The fundamental organizational principle of the Communist Party of China, deliberative democracy is a unique, unique and unique form of democracy in China's socialist democracy. Using the advantages of democratic centralism to develop socialist deliberative democracy is of great and far-reaching practical significance for consolidating and expanding the ruling foundation of the CCP, realizing the orderly political participation of citizens, and promoting the modernization of the national governance system and governance capabilities.
Since its founding in 1921, the Communist Party of China has adhered to the principle of democratic centralism, combined the full promotion of democracy with the correct implementation of centralism, unified the thoughts and actions of the entire party to the greatest extent, and achieved, developed and safeguarded the fundamentals of the overwhelming majority of the Chinese people. Benefit. As Comrade Mao Zedong pointed out: "Our Communist Party and the Eighth Route Army and the New Fourth Army led by the Communist Party are revolutionary troops. Our army is entirely for the liberation of the people and works completely for the interests of the people. ... Because we are serves the people, so if we have shortcomings, we are not afraid of criticism. No matter who it is, anyone can point it out to us. As long as you are right, we will correct it. We will do as you do.” Therefore, in the political life of the CCP, regardless of political decision-making or political action, the principle of democratic centralism must be implemented, and the dispersed and unsystematic opinions of the masses must be concentrated, studied, and transformed into The centralized and systematic opinions are then propagated and explained among the masses, and turned into the opinions of the masses, so that the masses can adhere to them, see them in action, and test whether these opinions are correct in mass actions. Deliberative democracy is an important form of democracy that, under the leadership of the Communist Party of China, all parties within the people conduct extensive consultations before and during the implementation of decisions around major issues of reform, development, stability and practical issues involving the interests of the masses, and strive to form a consensus. Obviously, the organizational principle of democratic centralism and the working methods from and to the masses under the guidance of this principle have inherently included the guiding ideology, basic principles and specific procedures of deliberative democracy.
Democratic consultation around major issues is not an original creation of the Chinese Communists. However, the fundamental difference between socialist deliberative democracy under the leadership of the Communist Party of China and all democratic consultations in history is that it is based on the principle of democratic centralism and aims to serve the scientific and democratic decision-making of the party and the government.On the one hand, under the centralized and unified leadership of the Communist Party of China, it broke the simple voting form of bourgeois democracy and adopted more flexible consultations between political parties, people's congresses, political consultative conferences, government consultations, people's organizations consultations, grassroots consultations and social organization consultations, etc. Through various forms, we listen extensively to opinions and demands from all sides, strive to explore the intersection of interests, and find the "greatest common denominator"; on the other hand, it ensures that the issues of deliberative democracy always focus on the overall situation of the country's work and the most urgent needs of the people. The practical problems solved serve the decision-making and governance of the party and the government, and are highly purposeful and targeted. This is in sharp contrast to the endless mutual accusations and attacks popular in bourgeois democracy, and effectively avoids empty talk and After wrangling, I successfully achieved the integration of discussion and implementation into .
There is no doubt that the unique form of socialist deliberative democracy fully follows the organizational principle of democratic centralism and effectively solves the problem of the people being unable to express their opinions and participate in governance in national and social life. Looking back on the decades of development of socialist deliberative democracy, we can see that it has been under the centralized and unified leadership of the Communist Party of China from beginning to end and is an important part of China's national system and national governance system . It is the leadership of the CCP that ensures the organic integration of democratic centralism and deliberative democracy, making deliberative democracy a two-way communication channel. Through it, the CCP can gather the opinions of the people and make decisions and govern on this basis. The people can participate in, understand and support the CCP's decision-making and governance. In short, using the advantages of democratic centralism to develop socialist deliberative democracy can fully guarantee the openness of the decision-making process, the scientific nature of decision-making, and the smoothness of decision-making feedback channels; the operation of deliberative democracy follows the principle of democratic centralism and can effectively prevent and overcome The decentralization of deliberation but no decision and decision but no action should mobilize all positive factors that can be mobilized, build consensus, form synergy, and maximize work efficiency.
(Author: Zuo Peng, deputy director and professor of the Marxist Theory Teaching and Research Department of the Central Academy of Socialism; Source: "People's Political Consultative Conference" July 6, 2022)
