Comprehensively Strengthening Party Discipline

With regard to the matter of how to standardize intra-Party political life, the sixth plenary session of the 18th CPC Central Committee made comprehensive deployment, and deliberated and approved “The Norms of Political Life within the Party under Current Conditions.” This is the first document regulating intra-Party political life since 1980, when the CPC formulated the Codes on Intra-Party Political Life. In specifying 12 aspects, including fortifying ideology and conviction, strengthening Party political discipline, advocating intra-Party democracy, guaranteeing Party members’ rights, improving the promotion system, and intensifying the restriction and supervision of power, the document sets down clear requirements for standardizing intra-Party political life.

The sixth plenum stressed that the focus of standardizing intra-Party political life under current conditions should be on leading organs and leading cadres of various levels, in particular high-ranking officials that include members of the CPC Central Committee, its political bureau, and the Politburo Standing Committee.

Meanwhile, the sixth plenum also approved another document – “The Regulations on Intra-Party Supervision.” Its theme is clear: Under current conditions, standardizing intra-Party political life takes place on the premise of tightening intra-Party supervision. But as normative intra-Party political life is a guarantee of effective intra-Party supervision, the two sides are in fact complementary, and should be addressed in tandem as a common task of the whole Party.

The 19th CPC National Congress is scheduled to be convened in the second half of 2017. It is an important political event for the Party and the country. Indepth study and full implementation of the ideas proposed at the sixth plenum, now underway throughout the whole Party, will be of exceptional significance to the Party as it leads the entire nation in forging ahead.

YANG YINGJIE is deputy editor-in-chief of Study Times affiliated to the Party School of the CPC Central Committee.