Socialist Consultative Democracy
In a document on improving socialist consultative democracy released in 2015, the CPC Central Committee pointed out that consultative democracy is an important way to practice democracy under the CPC leadership. Extensive consultations are made before any decision concerning major issues of reform, development, or stability that affect people’s immediate interests is made or during its implementation, so as to reach consensus among the people.
The report to the 19th CPC National Congress pointed out that the essence of the people’s democracy is that the people get to discuss their own affairs. Consultative democracy is an important way of effecting Party leadership and a model and strength unique to China’s socialist democracy.
Socialist consultative democracy is an important way to realize people’s democracy with Chinese features. As a distinctive Chinese political institution, the CPPCC is a major channel for socialist consultative democracy, and its committees are special consultative bodies.
The report to the 19th CPC National Congress required efforts to be made to advance extensive, multilevel, and institutionalized development of consultative democracy, and adopt a coordinated approach to promoting consultations carried out by political parties, people’s congresses, government departments, CPPCC committees, people’s organizations, communities, and social organizations. The institutions of consultative democracy need to be strengthened, and complete procedures and practices be developed to enable the people’s broad, continuous, and intensive participation in day-to-day political activities.
社會主義協(xié)商民主
2015年中共中央印發(fā)的《關(guān)于加強(qiáng)社會主義協(xié)商民主建設(shè)的意見》中指出:協(xié)商民主是在中國共產(chǎn)黨領(lǐng)導(dǎo)下,人民內(nèi)部各方面圍繞改革發(fā)展穩(wěn)定重大問題和涉及群眾切身利益的實際問題,在決策之前和決策實施之中開展廣泛協(xié)商,努力形成共識的重要民主形式。中共十九大報告中指出,有事好商量,眾人的事情由眾人商量,是人民民主的真諦。協(xié)商民主是實現(xiàn)中國共產(chǎn)黨的領(lǐng)導(dǎo)的重要方式,是中國社會主義民主政治的特有形式和獨特優(yōu)勢。社會主義協(xié)商民主,具有鮮明的中國特色,是人民民主的重要形式。人民政協(xié)是具有中國特色的制度安排,是社會主義協(xié)商民主的重要渠道和專門協(xié)商機(jī)構(gòu)。中共十九大報告要求,推動協(xié)商民主廣泛、多層、制度化發(fā)展,統(tǒng)籌推進(jìn)政黨協(xié)商、人大協(xié)商、政府協(xié)商、政協(xié)協(xié)商、人民團(tuán)體協(xié)商、基層協(xié)商以及社會組織協(xié)商。加強(qiáng)協(xié)商民主制度建設(shè),形成完整的制度程序和參與實踐,保證人民在日常政治生活中有廣泛持續(xù)深入?yún)⑴c的權(quán)利。