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Published: 20 May 2018

Evaluation of Chinese multi-party political system

M S Siddiqui

China has a Multi-Party political system having Communist Party of China and eight political parties
other than the CPC. These eight parties are established before the founding of the People's
Republic of China in 1949. They are independent in organization and enjoy political freedom,
organizational independence and legal equality under the Constitution. These parties had supported
the CPC in overthrowing the rule of Kuomintang during revolution end by 1949. Those parties are:

1. China Revolutionary Committee of the Kuomintang was officially founded on January 1, 1948;
its main constituents at the time were former Kuomintang members for democracy and other
patriotic personages.

2. China Democratic League was established in November 1939 under different name, It took its
present name in September 1944. At the time, it was a united political organization consisting of
political parties and forces favoring the middle road and democracy.

3. China Democratic National Construction Association was established on December 16, 1945.
Its political stand at the time was to guarantee the basic political rights and human rights of citizens,
protect and develop national industry and commerce and oppose the dictatorial rule of the
Kuomintang.

4. China Association for the Promotion of Democracy was founded on December 30, 1945; it was
made up mostly by people engaged in education and publishing and patriotic figures in industry and
commerce in Shanghai who stood for promotion of democracy and reform of the political power. It
called on the Kuomintang to return the political power to the people, the establishment of a united
and constitutional government.

5. Chinese Peasants' and Workers' Democratic Party founded in August 1930, its main political
program was to oppose the dictatorial rule of the Kuomintang and establish the power of the people.
Its present program includes the stand to accept the leadership of the CPC, adhere to multi-party
cooperation and political consultation, practice democratic centralism and safeguard the rights and
interests of party members and associated intellectuals.

6. China Zhi Gong Dang was founded in San Francisco, October 1925 by overseas Chinese
organizations in North America. According to its constitution, the party is made up mainly by the
middle and upper levels of returned overseas Chinese and their relatives. Its policy is to assist the
CPC and the Chinese government, consolidate and develop political stability, safeguard the rights
and interests of party members and associate returned overseas Chinese and their relatives, reflect
their opinions and demands and practice democratic centralism.
7. Jiusan Society was first established in May 1946, its political stand was to carry on the tradition
of democracy and science, oppose the civil war and practice democratic politics. The present
program stipulates that organizationally, the party draws members from representative middle and
senior level intellectuals in the fields of science, technology, higher education and medicine.

8. Taiwan Democratic Self-government League established on November 12, 1947 in Hong Kong.
At the time it was a political organization of Taiwan residents which was founded and existed outside
Taiwan Province, sought to become free from the rule of the Kuomintang, implement democracy and
regional self-government. In March 1949, the league moved its headquarters from Hong Kong to
Beijing.

Its present political program stands for patriotism and socialism, uniting with league members and
Taiwan compatriots and striving for the acceleration of reform, opening up and socialist
modernization drive, safeguarding stability and unity, improvement of socialist democracy and legal
system and the realization of the peaceful unification of the motherland and "one country, two
systems". Most of the members are representative and upper level Taiwan compatriots living in large
and medium-size cities on the mainland.

China has multi-party cooperation and political consultation under the leadership of the CPC and
while under the precondition of accepting the leadership of the CPC, the eight other political parties
participate in the discussion and management of state affairs, in cooperation with the CPC. The
political system is co-operative and consultative with the CPC. Cooperative relations between the
CPC and other political parties are based on the principle of "long-term coexistence and mutual
supervision, treating each other with full sincerity and sharing weal or woe."

Political consultation means that under the leadership of the CPC, all parties, mass organizations
and representatives from all walks of life take part in consultations of the country's basic policies and
important issues in political, economic, cultural and social affairs before a decision is adopted and in
the discussion of major issues in the implementation of the decisions.

Political consultation takes the organizational form of the Chinese People's Political Consultative
Conference. Members of these non-communist parties take part in the deliberation and
implementation of major policies, laws and regulations of the country, take part in the consultation on
major political issues and the choice of leaders of the state and take part in the running of state
affairs. They consult country's basic policies and important issues in political, economic, cultural and
social affairs before a decision is adopted and in the discussion of major issues in the
implementation of the decisions.

Leaders of CPC also invite, usually once a year, leaders of other political parties and representative
personages without political party affiliation to a meeting at which CPC leaders hear and solicit their
opinion on major policies and principles that the CPC puts forward. CPC leaders invite leaders of
other political parties and representative personages without political party affiliation for small-scale
meetings at which they exchange opinions on questions of common concern whenever there is a
need for such a meeting.

The parties also invited at bimonthly meetings under the chairmanship of CPC leaders. These
meetings are attended by people from other political parties and representative personages without
political party affiliation.

At these meetings, the CPC Central Committee informs the participants of major events, exchanges
views with them, relays important documents of the CPC Central Committee and hears the opinion
and suggestions of the participants or conducts discussions on specific topics. When necessary,
there will be meetings between the bimonthly ones.
Leaders of non-communist political parties and representative figures without political party affiliation
may, at any time they wish, submit in writing their suggestions to the CPC Central Committee on
major state policies or specific issues or they may see leaders of the CPC Central Committee in
person to exchange views.

These eight parties have options of supervision of CPC. This democratic supervision means that the
non-communist political parties exercise supervision on the CPC and the government organs under
its leadership, within the framework of the multi-party cooperation and political consultation.

The supervision may be conducted in the following manners: putting forward opinions, suggestions
and criticisms to the CPC Central Committee at the meetings of the Chinese People's Political
Consultative Conference; making known their suggestions and criticisms on major political,
economic and social issues of the state on the basis of investigation; deputies to the National
People's Congress (NPC) and members of the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference
who are members of non-communist political parties may conduct supervision through putting
forward bills, proposals and inspection reports; and members of non-communist political parties may
exercise their supervisory role by serving as special supervisors, inspectors, auditors and education
supervisors of the government.

China has another unique consultation platform with all the nine parties namely The Chinese
People's Political Consultative Conference (CPPCC). It is an organization of the united front with
wide representation. It is an important organ of multi-party cooperation and political consultation
under the leadership of the CPC.

All political parties and mass organizations who support the charter of the CPPCC may sit on the
National Committee or local committees, upon agreement by the National Committee or local
committees after deliberation. It is composed of the CPC, other political parties, mass organizations,
and representative public personages from all walks of life, representatives of compatriots of Taiwan,
Hong Kong and Macao as well as of returned overseas Chinese and other specially invited people.

The major function of the CPPCC is to conduct political consultation and exercise democratic
supervision, organize its members from various non-communist political parties, mass organizations
and public personages from all walks of life to take part in the discussion and management of state
affairs.

The provinces, autonomous regions, municipalities directly under the Central Government, cities
divided into districts, counties, autonomous counties, as well as cities not divided into districts and
districts under the jurisdiction of cities, where there are conditions for setting up the CPPCC, shall
establish proper local level organizations of the CPPCC.

At present there are more than 3,000 CPPCC local committees at various levels made up by a total
membership of over half a million. All participating units and individuals have the obligation to
observe and carry out the decisions. In case of different opinions, they may state their reservation on
the precondition of firmly implementing them.

Participating units and individuals who have seriously violated the charter of the CPPCC or the
decisions of the plenary sessions or Standing Committee shall be disciplined by the National
Committee or standing committees of local committees including warning up to stripping them of
their qualifications for joining the CPPCC.

The multi-party democratic system is working successfully since revolution and introduction of
socialistic pattern of economy successfully since 1949.
The writer is a legal economist.
mssiddiqui2035@gmail.com