Special Supplement

Such a situation gravely affected the activity of the CPSU Central Committee, the government, local Party organizations, and all Communists. Party bodies increasingly tackled current economic and administrative management problems, substituting for the Soviets and other State bodies. This had a negative impact on the implementation of the Party’s basic functions, weakened its political and ideological influence, and sharpened many social development problems.

The Party had the courage to critically examine the situation. It has launched restructuring and is step by step transforming itself and inner-Party life. One of the most urgent tasks is to establish such political mechanisms and guarantees that would rule out in the future possibilities for violating the Leninist principles of Party leadership in society.

Taking account of the views expressed at Party meetings, in work collectives and in the press, the CPSU Central Committee believes it expedient to consider the following suggestions during the Conference.

One of the most urgent tasks is to establish

such political mechanisms and guarantees that would rule out in the future Possibilities for violating

the Leninist principles

of Party leadership in : society.

To restore in full measure the Leninist understanding of the principle of democratic centralism in accordance with which freedom of debate should be ensured at the stage when issues are discussed and concerted action ensured after a decision has been passed by a majority.

To proceed in the relationship between the Party and the state from the Leninist principles of a precise delimitation of their functions. All Party organizations should act in compliance with the Constitution of the USSR and with Soviet laws. Party committees should not pass resolutions addressing direct instructions to state and economic bodies, or to public organizations. The CPSU shall steer its political course via Communists working in bodies of state authority in all spheres of society’s life.

Proceeding from the tasks of the CPSU as the political vanguard and from deep-running changes in society, the activities of primary Party organizations should be restructured radically. While remaining the political nucleus of each collective, they should not supplant work collectives and their bodies in the discharge of the functions provided for under the Law on the State Enterprise, the Law on Co- operation and other legislative acts. Acting primarily via Communists and working in the midst of the people, Party. organizations should ensure that every work collective copes in full with the functions entrusted to it, and exercises its democratic rights.

The role of Party meetings, Party committees and every Communist in implementing the decisions of the Party should be reconsidered from that viewpoint. The atmosphere of openness, debate, criticism and self-

discipline, collectivity and personal responsibility should be restored in full measure. Current developments in the life of Party organizations are proceeding precisely in this direction. They should be supported and developed in every way.

Questions of the qualitative composition of the Party ranks and the performance by Communists of their vanguard role are being widely discussed in the Party and society. In this connection the view is expressed that the practice of regulating the growth of Party ranks by “order” runs counter to real requirements of the development of the Party itself and of all society.

The common view is that demands on those joining the Party should be made decisively more exacting so that really worthy people with superior political, moral and business qualities, convinced fighters for the program goals of the Party, can join its ranks. The opinion of the work collective concerned absolutely must be taken into consideration.

To consider during the conference the expediency of conducting in the period before the next CPSU Congress the discussion of the social and political posture of every Communist, this being an effective means for self-purification and for making the Party stronger. The discussion of Communists’ work at open meetings of Party organizations shall promote activity by them and a personal contribution to the life of their collective and to the cause of perestroika.

In the light of the experience accumulated since the January (1987) Plenum of the CPSU Central Committee; changes should be made in the procedure of forming elected Party bodies. Genuine competition, wide- scale discussion of candidates and voting by secret ballot should become a norm. What matters here is not the post one occupies, but one’s ideological, moral and business qualities; one’s political authority and one’s active stance in advancing perestroika. During the elections to all Party committees Communists shall have the right to nominate a number of candidates exceeding that of the committee membership.

Party Democracy

uch a procedure of nomination, discussion and election of Party committee members and secretaries could be applied to the process of

- forming Party bodies from the level of

District and City Party Committees to the Central Committees of the Parties of the Union Republics and at the CPSU Central Committee level.

All Party committees starting at the District and City level shall be elected for a standard term of five years. Simultaneously a Communist shall not hold an elected post in the CPSU for more than two terms in a row. Election for a third term in a row shall be possible only on the initiative of ° Communists and shall require a preliminary decision on admission to the elections. Such a decision shall be passed by no less than three-fourths of the membership of the Party committee concerned. Voting shall be by secret

Special responsibility in affirming the Party as the political vanguard rests with the CPSU Central Committee. It should develop and consolidate in every way the principles of collective leadership in its work so that all members of the Central Committee can participate in deciding principal questions related to the political course of the Party on a basis of wide-scale discussion. The conference is to consider possible suggestions concerning new forms of collective work of the Central Committee members between Plenums. All this should eventually be directed toward enhancing the role of the Party’s Central Committee:

© To provide for the possibility for a partial replacement of Central Committee members between Congresses and assure a continuing inflow of fresh forces. Decisions on this score should be made by a qualified majority. Voting should be by secret ballot.

© To introduce the necessary structural and personnel changes in the Party with due account of the Party’s growing role as the political vanguard and with due account of delimiting the functions of Party committees from those of state and economic bodies.

The principle of strict subordination and accountability of Party functionaries to elected Party bodies should be followed, while bureaucracy, Communist conceit and unwarranted secrecy in Party life should be fought decisively.

The Party’s personnel policy demands serious renewal in the conditions of democratization. A formal approach to the selection and distribution of cadres is becoming outdated. The organization of cadre training and retraining, cadre education and the recommendation of both Communists and non-Party people for ranking posts should become the principal method of work of Party committees. Election results should determine the final settlement of personnel questions.

It is expedient to consider during the conference the question of improving control and auditing work in the Party. At present the Party has the Central Auditing Commission of the CPSU and the Party Control Committee attached to the CPSU Central Committee. The suggestion is made that there should be one body in the future which should be elected by the Party Congress to oversee the compliance of Communists with the demands of Party discipline and of the CPSU rules and monitor the financial

criticism, Party comradeship and ballot. and economic activity of Party bodies.

10 e Pacific Tribune, June 22, 1988

Mikhail Gorbachev talking with workers at the Likhachov auto plant in Moscow.

All these proposals should be directed toward a consistent observance of the democratic principles of Party life, enhance the spirited character of the Party and its ability to lead the process of revolutionary renewal of Soviet society and set the pace of perestroika.

Work of Soviets

he main guideline for making our society and state more democratic is restoration in full measure of the role and powers of the Soviets of People’s Deputies as plenipotentiary bodies of popular representation.

Lenin discovered in the Soviets, born of the experience of the revolutions in Russia, a political form according with the nature of socialism. Being representative bodies of power and organizations with a mass public membership, the Soviets organically combine the principles of statehood and self-government. Having an immense democratic potential, they have demonstrated their viability and corroborated the correctness of Lenin’s discovery.

At the same time we notice serious shortcomings in the work of the Soviets and the dissatisfaction of the working people with their performance. As a result of known deformations, the rights and powers of the representative bodies have been curtailed and they remain under the unwarranted tutelage of Party committees. In many cases Ministries and departments decide matters of economic and social development over their heads. Not infrequently Executive Committees and officials employed by them usurp functions of the Soviets, while Deputies are left to sanction pre-looked decisions. It is vital to change this situation radically and reinstate the Soviets in their real governing powers by turning over to them all specific questions of state, economic, social and cultural life for consideration and decision.

Material and financial possibilities of local Soviets should be substantially broadened. It is important to ensure the formation of local budgets on the basis of long-term norms with emphasis made primarily on augmenting budget receipts of local Soviets from enterprises and economic

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