The Structure of Communist Party (Bolshevik) -2

STRUCTURE OF THE PARTY - 1

The Guiding Principle in the Party's Structure 

The guiding principle (rule) in the Party's organizational structure is democratic centralism. This means that in our Party, centralism and democracy supplement one another. On the one hand, all Party work is directed from one centre ; the lower Party bodies are subordinated to the higher ones; the strictest  discipline reigns in the Party. On the other hand, all Party bodies are elected and have to report to the Party organizations. 

Democratic centralism means: 

firstly, that all leading Party bodies, from bottom up, are elected; 

secondly, that the Party bodies report periodically to their Party organizations; 

thirdly, strict Party discipline and subordination of the minority to the majority; 

fourthly, that the decisions of the higher bodies are absolutely binding on the lower bodies .

All these principles of democratic centralism make it possible to combine the Party's organization and compactness with activity and initiative on the part of its members. 

Democratic centralism ensures for the Party unity of will and action. This makes it possible to direct the entire work of the Party towards a single goal, to give its policy and practical work a single direction. 

The fact that the Party is built up on the basis of democratic centralism enables it at any moment to reform its ranks, to redistribute its forces, to concentrate them on the fulfillment of new tasks . 

Our Party consists of numerous town, district, factory, kolkhoz and other Party organizations. To direct their activities towards a single goal we have a single centre­ the Central Committee of the Party, under whose guidance all the local Party organizations are united into a single Party organization. 

Democratic centralism in the leadership and structure of the Party is the basis of its organization and fighting efficiency. 

Organization on Production-and-Area Lines 

The Communists are united first of all in the primary Party organizations at the places at which they are employed: factory, kolkhoz, office. In this way, factory, kolkhoz, office and other Party organizations are formed. Thus, the lower, or primary, Party organizations are built on production lines. 

The primary Party organizations form district area organizations. In Districts, Okrugs, Regions, Territories and Republics, organizations corresponding to the re­spective areas are formed. They unite all the primary Party organizations in their respective areas. This is the area principle in the structure of our Party. 

The Bolshevik Party was built on production-and-area lines right from the beginning. Before the revolution, this enabled the P arty to fight successfully to carry out the task set by Lenin, viz., to convert every factory into a Bolshevik stronghold. During the period of the building of Socialism, the production-and-area principle enabled the Party to draw closer to production activities, to go into the details of the work of every industrial enterprise, kolkhoz and office . 

The production-and- area principle of organization helps the P arty to organize the workers, kolkh ozniks and office workers for the struggle to carry out production plans. The fact that the Communists are organized in primary organizations on production lines enables the Party to deploy its forces in such a way that they are able to work directly among the masses of the working people and influence the work in industrial enterprises, kolkhozs and offices. 

The Party organizations are formed in conformity with the administrative division of the country (District, Okrug, Region, Territory, Republic) . This enables the Party successfully to direct all the organs of state power and all branches of economic and cultural development. 

The Higher Party Bodies 

The supreme body of the Party is the congress of the C.P. S . U. ( B.). The congress hears and endorses the reports of the Central Committee of the C.P.S. U.( B.) and of the Central Auditing Committee, revises and amends the Party's program and rules, determines the Party's tactics (mode of action) in fundamental questions of current policy, and elects the Central Committee of the C.P .S . U. ( B.) and the Central Auditing Committee. 

Delegates to the congress of the C. P.S . U. ( B.) are elected at Regional and Territory conferences, and at congresses of the Communist Parties of the Union Repub­lics. The decisions of the congress of the C.P.S.U. (B .) are binding on the whole Party. 

Every congress of the C.P.S.U. (B. ) is a great event in the life of the Party and of the entire country. The decisions of the congress of the C.P.S.U.(B.) express the will of the entire Party. The entire Party prepares for the congress. The Central Committee announces the agenda of the congress six weeks before it assembles. This is done in order that the Communists may discuss the extremely important questions that are to come before the congress. 

In the intervals between congresses, the Central Committee of the C.P.S.U.(8.) convenes all-Union Party conferences of representatives of local Party organizations. The all-Union Party conferences discuss urgent questions of Party policy. 

The all-Union Party conference has the right to replace some of the members of the Central Committee of the C.P.S.U.(8.), i.e., to remove those who have failed to carry out their duties and to elect others in their place. Such a change must not, however, affect more than one-fifth of the total numb er of members of the Central Committee of the C.P.S. U.(8.) elected by the Party congress. The all- Union conference replenishes the Central Committee of the C.P.S.U. (8 .) from among the alternate members who had been elected by the Party congress, and in their place elects the corresponding number of new alternate members. 

The decisions of all- Union conferences are endorsed by the Central Committee of the C.P.S.U.(B.), except for decisions to replace members of the Central Committee and to elect new alternate members; such decisions do not have to be endorsed by the Central Committee of the C.P.S.U.(8.). 

Decisions of all- Union conferences endorsed by the Central Committee of the C.P.S.U.(8.) are binding on all Party organizations. 

The supreme body of the Party in the periods between congresses is the Central Committee of the C.P.S.U.(B.). To the Central Committee are elected the best, most experienced Bolsheviks-outstanding workers in the Party, in economic and military affairs, and in science and culture. The Central Committee concentrates within itself the wisdom of our Party. It is the leading core of the Party. 

The Central Committee of the C.P.S.U. (B.), headed by Comrade Stalin, is the political, ideological and organizing centre of the Party. 

The Central Committee of the C.P.S.U. (B.) represents the Party in relations with other parties, organizations and institutions. It exercises leadership of the local Party organizations. It organizes the various institutions of the Party and guides their activities. It appoints the editorial staffs of the Party's central organs (newspapers and magazines) which work under its supervision, and endorses the editorial staffs of the Party organs of big local organizations. It distributes the Party's forces and funds and directs the work of the central Soviet and public organizations. 

Major political and organizational questions are discussed at plenums of the Central Committee of the C.P.S.U. (B . ) , that is to .say, by all the members and alternate members. 

The Central Committee of the C.P.S.U. ( B.) sets up a Political Bureau, which directs political work; an Organizing Bureau, which directs organizing work, and a Secretariat for current work of an organizational executive character.- 

The present members of the Political Bureau of the Central Committee of the C.P.S. U. ( B.) are Comrades 

J. V. S talin, V. M. Molotov, G. M. Malenkov, L. P. Beria, K. E. Voroshilov, L. M. Kaganovich, A. I. Mikoyan, A. A. Andr eyev, N. S. Khrushchev, N. A. Bulganin and A. N. Kosygin. Comrade N M. Shvernik is an alternate member of the Political Bureau. 

The present Secretaries of the Central Committee of the C.P.S.U.(B.) are Comrades J. V. Stalin (General Secretary), G. M. Malenkov, P. K. Ponomarenko, M. A. Suslov and N. S. Khrushchov. Comrade Stalin was elected General Secretary of the Central Committee of the C.P.S.U.(B.) on Lenin's proposal in 1922 and has acted in that capacity ever since. 

The Local Party Bodies 

The supreme bodies of the Communist Parties of the Union Republics are the Party congresses; the supreme bodies of Territorial, Regional, Town and District organizations are the Party conferences. They hear and endorse the reports of the Party Committees, discuss questions concerning Party, Soviet, economic, trade union and Young Communist League work, elect the Party Commit­tees, Auditing Committees and delegates to conferences called by the superior Part y organizations, or to the congress of the C.P.S.U. (B.). 

In the intervals between congress es or conferences, the supreme bodies oi the local organizations are the Central Committees of the Communist Parties of the Union Republics and the Territorial, Regional, Okrug, Town and District Party Committees. 

The District, Town, Okrug , Regional and Territorial Committees of the C.P.S.U. (B.) and the Central Com­mittees of the Communist Parties of the Union Republics elect bureaus and secretaries to conduct current work. 

The Party bodies are organs of collective leadership. All fundamental questions are d is cuss ed and settled collectively. When any important question is discussed, the opinion and experience of every member of the given body is taken into account. 

Collective leadership is the fundamental method of Party work. Comrade Stalin teaches; "The ability to act collectively, readiness on the part of individual comrades to submit to the will of the collective body, is precisely what we call real Bolshevik courage. Because, without such courage, without the ability to overcome one's pride, if you like to call it that, and to submit one's will to the will of the collective body-without these qualities-there is no collective body, there is no collective leadership, there is no Communism."* * J. Stalin, The Right-Wing Factionalists in the American Communist Party, Gosizdat 1930, p. 43. 

It is the duty of the local organizations to carry out the instructions of the higher bodies of the C. P..S.U. (B.) unreservedly and to the letter. 

The local Party bodies guide the work of the lower Party organizations. 

The local Party bodies direct the activities of the Soviet, trade union, Young Communist League and other organizations and are responsible for their work. This, of course, does not mean that the Party Committees must do the work of these organizations and decide everything for them. They must not usurp the functions of the Soviet bodies and economic organizations and push them into the background, but constantly help them, strengthen them and direct economic and cultural development through them. 

The Primary Party Organizations 

The primary Party organizations constitute the basis of the Party. 

They are formed in factories, sovkhozes, machine and tractor stations and other economic enterprises, in kol­khozes, Soviet army and naval units, in villages , offices and in educational establishments where there are not less than three Communists. They link the lea ding P art y bodies with the masses of the workers, peasants and intelligentsia. 

The functions of the primary Party organizations are multifarious. 

They conduct agitation and organizational work among the masses of workers, kolkhozniks and office employees, explain the Party 's policy and carry out the Party's decisions. 

They recruit new members for the Party and organize their political education. The Bolshevik education of the Party members is one of the most important functions of the primary Party organizations. For this purpose they organize political schools and circles for Communists, arrange lectures and consultations for those comrades who are studying Marxist-Leninist theory independently, and supervise the studies of the Communists. 

Party members are trained in the course of practical work. The primary Party organization gives every member definite Party tasks to perform . In the course of performing these tasks the Communists develop and acquire experience. By participating in the entire work of the Party organization they receive schooling in practical activity and are steeled in the struggle against diffi­culties. 

The primary Party organizations help the District (or Town) Committee in its practical work. Every primary Party organization is a part of the District (or Town) Party organization. It must carry out all the tasks set by the District (or Town) Committee to the letter and particip ate in the ge neral Party wcirk in the district (or town). 

The primary Party organizations rally the masses of workers, kolkhozniks and office employees for the purpose of fulfilling production plans, for strengthening labour discipline and developing socialist emulation and the Stakhanov movement. They combat laxity and mismanagement in factories, sovkhozes and kolkhozes, and con­stantly see to the imp rovement of the cultural and living conditions of the workers, office employees and kolkhozniks. 

The Party strives to enhance the role of the primary Party organizations in all enterprises where production is carried on. With this end in view, the primary Party organizations in industrial enterprises, sovkhozes , kol­khozes and machine and tractor stat ions have the right to supervise the activities of the management of the enterprises. They have the right to call upon the managers of such enterprises to re port on their activities at Party meetings, to criticize defects in their work, and to adopt decisions with the view to eliminating these defects. The right to supervise the work of production managers enhances the Communists' sense of responsibility for the state of affairs in the given enterprise. 

The primary Party organizations in Soviet administrative offices have no right to supervise the work of the managers of these offices. Why? Because supervision of the work of Central, Regional, District and Town Soviet administrative offices is exercised by the corresponding Party body. The work of administrative offices covering the whole Soviet Union is supervised by the Central Committee of the C.P.S.U. (B.); Regional offices are supervised by the Regional Party Committees, and so forth. The fact that primary Party organizations in such offices have not the right to supervise does not mean, however, that they can ignore mismanagement and defects in the work of these offices and their managers. It is their bounden duty to report such defects to the superior Party body. 

Experience shows that the primary P arty organizations achieve success when they properly combine Party­ political work with the struggle to carry out the tasks confronting the given factory, kolkhoz or office. 

Inner-Party Democracy 

An important basis of the work of all Party organizations is inner-Party democracy. Lenin said. "... all the Party's affairs are conducted, directly or through representatives, by all the members of the Party on an equal footing, without any exception...."* • V. I. Lenin, Collected Works, Vol. 11, 4th Russ. ed., p. 396. 

Inner-Party democracy finds expression first of all in that all the leading Party bodies from the bottom up, from the bureaus of the primary Party organizations lo the Central Committee of the Party, are elected. In order that the will of the members of the Party may find most precise expression, the Rules of the C.P.S.U. (B.) prohibit the voting !or candidates for office by lists. Every candi­date for office must be voted for separately. Moreover, every Party member has the rig ht to object to a candidature and to criticize candidates. The voting for candidates takes place by secret ballot. 

Democracy in our Party is not limited to democratic elections . The entire work of the Bolshevik Party is based on democratic action which means that the entire membership decides questions and takes action on these decisions. Comrade Stalin has pointed out that real democracy lies in that the membership of the Party organizations should act, that the Party membership should decide Party and general practical questions, that the Party membership should pass its resolutions and oblige the respective organizations to carry them out. 

The Party bodies have to report to the organizations that elected them. By hearing and discussing the reports of Party bodies, the members of the Party check up on the work of the leading bodies they have elected and exercise control over them. 

Comrade Stalin has said: "Some comrades think that it is possible to check up on people only from above, when leaders check up on those they lead by the results of their work This is wrong. Checking up from above is needed, of course, as an effective measure for checking up on people and on the execution of tasks. But checking up from above is far from being the only kind of checking. There is another kind, checking from below, when the masses, when those who are led check up on the leaders , point to t heir  mistakes and indicate the way to rectify them. This kind of checking is one of the most effective methods of checking up on people."* • J. Stalin, Concerning Defects in Party Work and Measures for liquidating Trolskyite and Other Doubledea/er.,. Report and Reply lo Debate at the Plenum of the Central Committee of the C.P.S .U.( B.) , March 3-5, 1937. 

Inner-Party democracy ensures the active participation of every Communist in the life of ,the Party. The Party membership discusses and decides most important questions of Party policy and of everyday practical work . The rules of the Party state: "The free and business like discussion of questions of Party policy in individual Party organizations, or in the Part y as a whole, is an inalienable right of every member of the Party that follows from inner-Party democracy." 

As a member of a primary Party organization the Communist takes part in the discussion of all questions that come before that organization, and he may make proposals on them. When a decision is taken, it is the duty of the Communist to submit to the majority and carry out that decision. 

An important manifestation of inner-Party democracy is Bolshevik criticism and self- criticism. A Communist cannot gloss over or conceal mistakes and defects in his own work, or in that of other comrades. If there is no criticism and self- criticism, the Party cannot develop and make progress. 

It often happens that a man who honestly performs his public duties himself, deems it permissible to close his eyes to the anti-social conduct of other people. One does not want to "cause unpleasantness ''; another thinks that it is not right to offend a friend. So, according to such people, it is better to sacrifice the interests of the state and of the people rather than offend a friend. But this is not a Bolshevik, not a Soviet point of view. Whoever thinks this way commits a grave political - error. 

A Bolshevik not only critizes others; he must also critically appraise his own work. Comrade Stalin has repeatedly pointed out that a most important condition for our development is that every Soviet citizen should daily sum up his work and fearlessly ask himself: " Have I done all I could have done today? Have I overlooked anything? Have I made any mistake? What must I do to be able to work better tomorrow and do more for the state, for society, for the Party?" He who boldly and truth fully appraises and criticizes his work in this way will always forge ahead . 

We have achieved enormous successes. But often success gives rise to self-satisfaction, conceit and boast­fulness. The object of criticism and self-criticism is precisely to combat such evils. It helps the Party to eliminate defects, to consolidate achievements and to gain new achievements. 

The Party takes strong measures against attempts to gag criticism and inner-Party democracy. Every Communist or non- Party working man who comes out with healthy criticism and wants to secure the elimination of defects must feel that he has the organized support of his comrades and be confident that effective measures will be taken to remove defects. 

An important school for Bolshevik education is the Party meeting. At Party meetings all the most important quest ions of general political and Party life, as well as local a ff airs, are discussed. Party med in gs serve as a school for Party education, for increasing the activity of Communists, for developing criticism and self-criticism, for raising the sense of duty and responsibility of Party members. Party meetings can play this most important role only if careful preparations are made for them, and if the execution of the decisions adopted at them is systematically verified. 

Inner-Party democracy and Bolshevik criticism an d self-criticism are important means of strengthening con­scious Party discipline and of increasing the activit y of Party members; they are important means of continuously improving the whole of our work, and of the Bolshevik training of Party cadres and of the Party membership as a whole. 

BRIEF SUMMARY 

The Bolshevik Party is a single, strongly-welded organization that operates according to a single plan and under a single leadership. 

The rules of the Party define the structure of the Party and its chief internal regulations. The Rules of the C.P.S.U. ( B.) are based on the organizational principles of Bolshevism that were elaborated by Lenin and Stalin. It is the duty" of Communists undeviatingly to carry out the Party's program and rules , and to work actively in one of the Party organizations. 

Communists must work continuously to improve their political understanding and to master the principles of Marx is m-Leninism. It is their duty to maintain the strictest Party discipline and to take an active part in the political life of the Party and the country. 

It is the duty of Communists to set an example in labour and civic discipline, and to become proficient at their work. The Rules of the C.P.S.U.(B.) make it incumbent on Communists continuously to strengthen their ties with the masses. The Communists must set an example to the non-Party people and get them to follow their lead in carrying out the decisions of the Party and the Soviet Government. 

The Communist Party of the Soviet Union (Bolsheviks) is built on the principle of democratic centralism, which is a condition of its organization and fighting efficiency. 

The Party is organized on the production-and -area principle. The basis of the Party are the primary Party organizations. 

An important function of the Party organizations is to develop inner-Party democracy . Inn er- Party democracy and criticism and self-criticism are means for strengthening conscious Party discipline, for the Bolshevik education of Party members, for increasing their activity and improving the whole of Party work.


Political Education Series

THE STRUCTURE OF THE COMMUNIST PARTY OF THE SOVIET UNION (BOLSHEVIKS)
FOREIGN LANGUAGES PUBLISHING HOUSE
M o s c o w 1951