2nd Ld-Writethru: China Focus: Election of delegates fundamental to CPC national congress: CPC authority

The Organization Department of the Communist Party of China (CPC) Central Committee has highlighted the significance of the election of delegates to the Party's 19th National Congress in an interview with Xinhua.

The department said that the 19th CPC National Congress will not only take stock of work done in the five years leading up to the meeting, but also set a future direction for the Party and the state, as well as elect new central leadership.

Electing capable delegates to the 19th CPC National Congress is crucial to a successful national congress, as the political integrity, capability and the overall mix of delegates have direct bearing on the quality of consultation and decision making, it added.

During the congress, delegates will hear and examine reports from the CPC Central Committee and the CPC Central Commission for Discipline Inspection (CCDI), express the voices of Party members and the general public, discuss and decide on major issues of the Party, as well as elect a new central committee of the CPC and a new CCDI.

Election of delegates to the 19th CPC National Congress is an important approach and format for Party members to execute democratic rights and participate in intra-Party political life, in line with the principle of democratic centralism, according to the department.

In electing delegates, priority will be placed on the political soundness of candidates. "Candidates' beliefs, political integrity and moral qualities should be emphasized," the department said.

All candidates will be subject to anti-graft screening to prevent any questionable candidate being nominated, it added.

The quota of delegates from the front line of workers, farmers and professionals will be increased; and model workers, farmers and professionals will be recommended for election, according to the department.

Also, the election will feature a strong emphasis on discipline and rules, and a zero-tolerance attitude will be adopted against breaches of disciplines and rules, the department said, adding that the election fraud cases in Liaoning Province, Hengyang in Hunan Province, and Nanchong in Sichuan province should be used to alert people against misconduct.

Moreover, intra-Party democracy must be carried forward with all grassroot Party organizations and members mobilized to recommend and nominate candidates.

The Central Committee of the CPC on Wednesday released guidelines for the election of delegates to the Party's 19th National Congress, marking the beginning of the election process.

A total of 2,300 delegates will be elected by 40 electoral units across the country, according to the guidelines.

The total number of delegates has increased by 30 compared to the number of delegates elected to the 18th CPC National Congress, mainly because CPC membership has increased over the past five years, and the Party wants to include more delegates from the front line of workers, farmers and professionals, the department said.

The CPC now has more than 88 million members across the country.

To better reflect views of Party members and cement public support for the Party, the CPC has increased the quota of delegates from the front line and lowered that of leading CPC officials in the election, according to the department.

Delegates should come from various sectors, such as the economy, science and technology, national defense, and education, as well as from different regional levels, including village, county, city and province, the department said.

Women and those from ethnic groups should take up a proper proportion of the delegates, it added.

Model workers, farmers and professionals should be recommended for election, especially excellent Party members making outstanding contribution to reforms, technological innovation and poverty alleviation, said the department. Endi