Intra-Party Democracy
Intra-Party democracy involves CPC members participating in the decision-making and management of Party affairs on an equal footing and in accordance with the Constitution of the CPC and other Party regulations. Intra-Party democracy is exercised through democratic election, decision making, management and supervision. This is guaranteed by the systems of Party congress, collective leadership, intra-Party election, intra-Party supervision, and the system that protects Party members’ democratic rights.
Intra-Party democracy is determined by the nature, mission and world view of the CPC. The CPC is the ruling party in China; the exercise of democracy overall in society is influenced to a large extent by how the CPC ensures intra-Party democracy, and intra-Party political activities to a large extent influence the political activities of the whole country.
The 18th Central Committee of the CPC deliberated over and approved the Code of Conduct for Intra-Party Political Life under New Circumstances at its sixth plenary session in November 2016. The Code of Conduct stipulates that democracy in the Party is the lifeline of the Party and provides an important foundation for active and healthy intra-Party political activity; that the democratic rights of Party members must be guaranteed, and their rights to be informed, to participate, to vote, and to oversee Party affairs must be ensured; and that the democratic principles and procedures laid out in the Constitution and other regulations of the Party must be followed regarding intra-Party decision-making and execution, supervision, and other work of the Party. No Party organization or individual shall be permitted to suppress or undermine democracy in the Party.
Xi Jinping requires that the Political Bureau of the CPC Central Committee must take the lead in exercising intra-Party democracy, creating a positive environment for democratic discussion, encouraging people to tell the truth and speak to their mind, and be adept at taking democratic approaches to making decisions, coordinating various relations, solving problems, and making progress in relevant work.
党内民主
党内民主是指在中国共产党党内生活中，党员根据党章和党的其他规定，在平等的基础上，按照有关程序和形式，对党的事务参与、决策与管理。党内民主包括民主选举、民主决策、民主管理、民主监督等，党内民主制度包括党的代表大会制度、集体领导制度、党内选举制度、维护党员民主权利制度、党内监督制度等形式。党内民主是由党的性质、党的宗旨和党的世界观决定的。中国共产党是执政党，党内民主的状况很大程度上决定着整个社会民主乃至人民民主的状况，党内政治生活的状况很大程度上决定着社会政治生活乃至国家政治生活的状况。2016年11月中共十八届六中全会审议通过的《关于新形势下党内政治生活的若干准则》指出：党内民主是党的生命，是党内政治生活积极健康的重要基础；保障党员民主权利，落实党员的知情权、参与权、选举权和监督权；党内决策、执行、监督等工作必须执行党章党规确定的民主原则和程序，任何党组织和个人都不得压制党内民主、破坏党内民主。习近平要求，中央政治局带头发扬党内民主，积极营造民主讨论的良好氛围，鼓励讲真话、讲实话、讲心里话，善于运用民主的办法科学决策、协调关系、化解矛盾、推动工作。