Tuesday, March 12, 2013

Party Constitution

PREAMBLE

The Communist Party of India is the political party of the Indian working class. It is a voluntary organization of workers, peasants, toiling people in general, intelligentsia and other devoted to the cause of socialism and communism. The Communist party of India remains firmly wedded to the goal of a just socialist society in which equal opportunities for all and guarantee of democratic right will clear the way for ending all form of exploitation, including caste, class and gender, and exploitation of man by man, a society in which the wealth produced by the toiling millions will not be appropriated by a few. The science of Marxism-Leninism is indispensable for charting the path to such a new socialist system of course, this path will be determined by the specific historical conditions obtaining, as well as the particular characteristics and features of our own country, its history, tradition, culture, social composition and level of development. This goal cannot be achieved without hard struggle and a firm commitment to democratic norm and values.

For building of socialism the achievement of power by the working people, based on socialist democracy, is essential. With unflinching loyalty to the working people and their historic mission, the communist party of India will work for the realization of this mission and go forward to its ultimate goal of establishing a communist society in India.

The socialist society and socialist state of India shall fully safeguard the right of individual liberty, freedom of speech, press association, conscience and religious belief. It shall also guarantee the right to form opposition parties provided they are committed to abide by the constitution. The socialist constitution shall always keep vigil and prevent the destruction of democracy and violation of people's basic rights. The perspective and political policies of the party will be decided on the basis of objective reality. The accumulated experience of our party and the world revolutionary movements shall assist the party in the process. Life has shown that this task cannot be fulfilled by pursuing the capitalist path and as long as the bourgeois class is in control of state power.

The Communist party of India organizes itself and its work on the basis of democratic centralism and on full inner party democracy. The party also firmly believes that unity in action is indispensable. The decision of the party Congress and the National Council shall be binding on all party units and party members. Minority opinions on substantial political issues shall be made known to all Party units and Party members. Formation of factions and group son the basis of political, organizational or opportunist reasons shall not be permissible. The Party believes in free and frank debates. The party shall respect dissenting opinions.

Imbued with lofty idea of patriotism, the Communist Party of India upholds the independence and sovereignty of India, fights for national unity and national integration and firmly opposes all disruptions and obscurantist conceptions, communalism, revivalism, untouchability, casteism, religious intolerance and discrimination against and denial of equal rights to women and the Communist Party fights chauvinism and bourgeois nationalism. The communist party of India also firmly upholds the right of all sections of our society of our profess the faith of their choice and practice, but it shall not practice, but it shall not permit preaching of hatred against any religion.

The Communist Party of India shall bear true faith and allegiance to the Constitution of India as by law established and to the principles of socialism, secularism and democracy and would uphold the sovereignty, unity and integrity of India.

The Communist Party of India shall strongly fight for the cause of social justice. The age old outlook and practices of social inequality are very strong in our society. Social and economic inequality has become a most formidable block to the advance of our society. The fight against caste thinking and caste practices is essential for the unity of our people. Noble traditions, historical experience, rich cultural heritage and valuable teachings of great social reformers and thinkers of our country will help the Party to cultivate scientific temper and socialist ideals.

Fight for peace and against neo-colonialism, fight for a just society is common ground for all progressive forces of the world. Adhering to the principle of independence and equality and non-interference, the Communist Party of India shall make every effort to build friendship with other parties of the working people and the forces fighting against imperialism and for social progress. The Communist Party of India firmly believes that real and basic interest of the people of the world are the same and hence we stand for proletarian internationalism. Solidarity with just and progressive causes in other parts of the world will help our own struggle.

ARTICLE I
NAME


The name of the party shall be the Communist Party of India.

ARTICLE II
EMBLEM


The emblem of the party shall be crossed hammer and sickle in white against a red background with a circular inscription in white:"Communist Party of India".

ARTICLE III
FLAG


The flag of the party shall be a red flag of which the length shall be one-and -a-half times its width. At the centre of the flag there shall be a crossed hammer and sickle in white.

ARTICLE IV
MEMBERSHIP


1. Any Indian citizen, eighteen years of age or above, who accepts the programme and constitution of the party, agrees to work in one of the party organizations, to pay regularly the party membership fee and levy and to carry out decisions of the party shall be eligible for membership.

2. New members are admitted to the party on individual application and through a party branch on the recommendation of the two members Party councils at all levels also have the power to admit new members to the Party members who recommend an applicant must furnish the party branch or council concerned truthful information about the applicant from personal knowledge and with due sense of responsibility All applications for membership must be placed before the appropriate council within a month of their presentation and recommendation.

3. The general body meeting of the party branch shall decide on the question of admission and, if the applicant is admitted to the party, he or she shall be regarded as a candidate member for a period of six months commencing from the date of such admission.

4. If a leading member from another political party or local, district or state level comes over to the party, in addition to the sanction of the local party unit of district or state council, it is necessary to have the sanction of the next higher unit of the party before he or she is admitted to membership of the party.

5. Members once expelled from the party can be readmitted only by the decision of the unit which confirmed their expulsion or by a higher unity after considering the views of the unit from which he or she was expelled.

6. Candidate members have the same duties and rights as full members except that they have no right to elect or to be elected or to vote on any motion.

7. The party branch or unit admitting candidate members shall arrange for their elementary education on the programme, constitution and the current policies of the party and observe their development, through providing for their functioning as members of a branch or unit.

8. By the end of the period of candidature, the party branch or unit concerned shall discuss whether the candidate member is qualified to be admitted to full membership. The branch or the unit concerned may admit candidates to full membership or prolong the period of candidature for another not exceeding six months. If a candidate member is found unfit, the branch or unit may cancel his or her candidate membership A report of recruitment of candidates and of recommendations for admission to full membership shall be regularly forwarded by the branch or unit concerned to the next higher party unit.

9. The higher unit may, on scrutiny of the report, alter or modify any such decision after consultation with the branch or unit which has submitted the report. The district and state councils will exercise supervisory powers over the recruitment of candidates and over admissions to full membership and have the right to modify or reject the decision of the lower units in this respect Such supervisory powers shall be especially exercised where the membership of a unit is highly disproportionate to the influence of the party and the strength of the mass organizations and movement, where there is a sudden and excessive fall on rise in party membership as compared to the previous year.

10. If no decision to extend or cancel candidate membership is taken or no report prepared by the concerned branch even after a month following the completion of the period of candidature the candidate member will become full member.

11. A member may transfer his or her membership from one unit to another with the approval of the unit from which transfer is sought and by presenting a letter of introduction from the same to the new unit he or she wishes to join In case of transfer outside the district or the state council concerned shall be necessary.

ARTICLE V
PARTY PLEDGE


All candidates as well as full members shall sign the party pledge. This pledge shall be:

" I accept the aims and objectives of the party and agree to abide by its constitution and loyally to carry out decisions of the party.

"I shall strive to live up to ideals of a communism and shall selflessly serve and fight for the working class and the toiling masses and the country, always placing the interests of the party and the people above personal interests.

ARTICLE VI
PARTY MEMBERSHIP CARDS


1. On admission to membership, every party member shall be issued a membership card.

2. Party cards shall be uniform throughout the country and shall be issued by the state councils. Their form and contents shall be decided upon by the National Executive.

ARTICLE VII
RENEWAL OF MEMBERSHIP


1. On admission to membership, every party member shall be issued a membership card.

2. Party cards shall be uniform throughout the country and shall be issued by the state councils. Their form and contents shall be decided upon by the National Executive.

ARTICLE VIII
RESIGNATION FROM PARTY MEMBERSHIP

1. A member wishing to resign from the party shall submit his or her registration to the party branch concerned, which by a decision of its general body meeting may accept the same and decide to strike off his or her name from the rolls and report the matter to the next higher unit.

2. The party branch or unit concerned may, if it thinks necessary, try to persuade such a member to revoke his or her wish to resign.

3. In the case where a member wishing to resign from the party is liable to be charged with serious violation of the discipline which may warrant his or her suspension or expulsion and where such a charge is substantial, the resignation may be given effect to as expulsion to the party.

4. All such cases of registrations given effect to as expulsions shall be immediately reported to the next higher party unit and be subject to the latter's confirmation.

Membership Fee

All members, full as well as candidate, shall pay a party membership fee of two rupees per year. This annual party fee shall be paid at the time of admission into the party or at the time of the renewal of the party membership.

ARTICLE X
PARTY LEVY


The state executive and the national executive shall fix levies on members in accordance with the guiding rules approved by the national council.

ARTICLE XI
DUTIES OF PARTY MEMBERS


The duties of members are as follows:

(a)To regularly participate in the activity of the party organization to which they belong, to faithfully carry out the policy, decisions and the directives of the party, and to pay regularly the levy fixed by the party.
(b) To fight for the interests of the working people against all forms of exploitation and oppression of the masses, to devotedly serve the masses and consistently strengthen their bonds with them, to learn from the masses and report their opinions and demands to the party, to work in a mass organization, unless exempted, under the guidance of the party.
(c) To study the science of Marxism-Leninism and endeavor to raise their level of understanding.
(d) To read, support and popularize party journals and publications.
(e) To observe the party constitution and party discipline and behave in the spirit of proletarian internationalism and in accordance with the noble ideals of communism.
(f) To place the interests of the people and the party above personal interests.
(g) To fight consistently against all oppression or discrimination based on religion, caste or sex and firmly oppose such fissiparous tendencies as communalism and casteism and national and regional chauvinism.
(h) To cultivate comradely relations toward one another and constantly develop a fraternal spirit within the party.
(i) To practice criticism and self-criticism with a view to helping each other and improving individual and collective work.
(j) To be frank, honest and truthful to the party and not to betray the confidence of the party.
(k) To safeguard the unity and solidarity of the party and to be vigilant against the enemies of the party, the working class and the country.
(l) To defend the party and uphold its cause against the onslaught of the enemies of the party the working class and the country.
(m) To deepen their understanding of the noble traditions history and cultural heritage of the Indian people.

2. Every party organization, every member and every candidate member shall protect the party against anti-party influences and against factionalism and shall work for the unity and purity of the party on the foundations of Marxism-Leninism. Part members shall have the duty to remain vigilant in order to prevent enemies of the working class from destroying the unity of the party through the formation of splinter groups or other forms of disruptive activity.

3. It shall be task of party organization to ensure the fulfillment of the above duties by members and help them in every possible way in the discharge of these duties.

ARTICLE XIII
RIGHTS OF PARTY MEMBERS


1. Rights of the party members are as follows:

(a) To elect party organs and committees and be elected to them.
(b) To participate freely in discussions in order to contribute to the formulation of party policy and decisions of the party.
(c) To make proposals regarding their own work in the party, to get work assigned to themselves in accordance with their ability and situation in life.
(d) To make criticism about party units and functionaries at party meetings. Such criticism shall be sent to the comrade or unit criticized and reply reported to the unit concerned within a reasonable time.
(e) To demand to be heard in person when any party unit or organization discusses disciplinary action against any member or evaluates his or her personal behaviour or work in connection with serious mistake which he or she is alleged to have committed.
(f) When any member disagrees with any decision of a party unit of organisation, he or she has a right to submit his or her opinion to the higher committee, including and up to the national council and the party congress. In all such cases the members shall of course carry out the party decisions and the differences shall be sought to be resolved through the test of practice and through comradely discussions.
(g) To address any statement, appeal or complaint to any higher party organisation up to and including the national council and the party congress and to receive the answer to the appeal or redressal of once complaint within a reasonable time.

2. It shall be the duty of the party organisations and functionaries to see that these rights are respected.

ARTICLE XIV
PRINCIPLES OF DEMOCRATIC CENTRALISM


1) The Communist Party of India organises itself and its work on the basis of democratic centralism and on full inner-party democracy.

In the sphere of the party structure, the guiding principles of democratic centralism are:

(a) All leading organisations of the party from top to bottom shall be elected by secret ballot, the principles of maintaining continuity as well as ensuring promotion of new cadres into leadership shall be continuously applied throughout the party.
(b) The minority shall carry out the decision of the majority, the lower organisations shall carry out the decision and directives of the higher organs or units, the individuals shall carry out the will of the collective. All organisations shall carry out the decision and directives of the party congress and of the national council.
(c) All party units shall periodically report on their work to organisations immediately below and all lower units shall likewise report to their immediate higher units.
(d) All party units, particularly the leading units, shall pay constant heed to the opinions and criticisms of the lower organisations and the rank-and-file party members and shall pay due consideration to the issues rose by them and send suitable reply at the earliest.
(e) All party units shall function strictly on the principles of collective decisions and checkup combined with individual responsibility.
(f) All questions of international affairs, questions of all-India character, or questions concerning more than one state or questions requiring uniform decisions for the whole country, shall be decided upon by the all-India party organisation. All questions of a state or district character shall be ordinarily decided upon by the corresponding party organisation. When the central party leadership has to take a decision on any issue of major state importance, it shall do so after consultation, with the state organisation concerned. The state organisation shall do likewise in relation to districts.
(g) On issues which effect the policy of the party on all-India scale, but on which the party's standpoint is to be expressed for the first time, only the central leadership is entitled to make a policy statement. The lower units and individual members can and should send their opinions and suggestions in time for consideration by the central leadership.

2. Basing itself upon the experience of the entire membership and of the popular movement, in the sphere of the internal life of the party, the following guiding principles of democratic centralism are applied.

(a) Free and frank discussion within the party unit on all questions affecting the party, its policy and work.
(b) Sustained efforts to activise the members in popularizing and implementing party policies, to raise their ideological-political level and improve their general education so that they can effectively participate in the life and the work of the party.
(c) When serious differences arise in a party unit every effort should be made to arrive at an agreement; failing this, the decision should be taken by a majority vote.
(d) However, if the issue is not of immediate import and action, it is not necessary to close the discussion.
(e) Minority opinions on substantial political issues shall be made known to all party units and party members.
(f) Encouragement of criticism and self-criticism at all levels from top to bottom, especially criticism from below.
(g) Consistent struggle against bureaucratic tendencies at all levels. All members of leading units have a special responsibility for democratic and collective functioning of the units.
(h) Impermissibility of factionalism and factional groupings inside the party in any form.
(i) Strengthening of the party spirit by developing fraternal relations and mutual help, correcting mistakes by treating comrades sympathetically, judging them and their work not on the basis of isolated mistakes or incidents, but by taking in to account their whole record of service to the party.

ARTICLE XV
ALL INDIA PARTY CONGRESS


1. The supreme organ of the party for the whole country shall be the all-India party congress.

(a) The regular party congress shall be convened by the national council ordinarily every three years. In case of any delay due to any unavoidable reason, the national council shall submit a report to the congress explaining the same.
(b) An extraordinary party congress shall be called by the national council at its own discretion, or when it is demanded by the state party organizations representing not less than one-third of the membership.
(c) The date and venue of the party congress or of the extraordinary party congress shall be decided by the national council.
(d) A regular party congress shall be composed of delegates elected by the state conferences as well as by conferences of party units directly the all India party centre.
(e) The basis of representation to a party congress shall be decided by the national council.
(f) The basis of representation and the method of selection of delegates to the extraordinary party congress shall be decided by the national council.
(g) The members of the national executive and of the central control commission shall have the right to participate as full delegate in the party congress, whether regular or extra ordinary. Other members of the national council shall be entitled to attend the party congress as delegates without vote unless elected.
(h)The membership from any state for which the quota of membership fee due to the national council has been fully paid and accepted by the national council shall be taken as the basis for calculating the number of delegates from the state to the party congress.

2. Functions and powers of the regular party congress are as follows:

(a) To discuss and act on the political and organizational reports of the national council.
(b) To revise and change the party programme and the party constitution.
(c) To determine the tactical line and the policy of the party on the current situation.
(d) To elect the central control commission by secret ballot.
(e) To elect the national council by secret ballot.
(f) To hear and decide on the report of the central control commission as well as on appeals.
(g) To hear and decide on the report of the audit commission.

3. The congress shall elect a presidium for the product of its business.

ARTICLE XVI
NATIONAL COUNCIL


1. The national council, which shall be elected by the party congress, shall consist of not more than 125 members, the exact number being determined by the party congress. It will also consist of candidate members, their number not exceeding 10 per cent of the number of full members of the national council. The candidate members have a right to attend the sessions of the national council and participate in the discussions but no right to vote.

(a) The outgoing national council shall propose to the congress a panel of candidates.
(b) The panel of candidates shall be prepared with a view to create a broad based, capable leadership, closely linked with the masses, firm in the revolutionary outlook of the working class and educated in Marxism-Leninism. The panel shall bring together the best talent and experience from all states, from mass fronts and other fields of party activity and include at least one representative from every state.
Special attention must be paid to give fully adequate representation on the panel to women and to working class, to scheduled castes, scheduled tribes and backwards.
(c) At least one-fifth of the panel of candidates shall be persons who were not members of the outgoing national council.
(d) Any delegate can raise objection with regard to any name in the panel proposed as well as propose any new name or names.
(e) Anyone whose name has been proposed shall have the right to withdraw.
(f) The panel finally proposed, together with the additional nominations by the delegates, if any, shall be voted upon the secret ballot, and by the method of single distributive vote.

2. The national council shall have the power to co-opt candidate members to fill any vacancies that may occur among the candidate members subject to the condition that such co-option shall be valid only if two-thirds of the members of the national council attending its meeting vote for the proposal.

ARTICLE XVII
FUNCTIONS OF NATIONAL COUNCIL


1. The national council shall be the highest authority of the party between two all-India party congresses.

2. It is responsible for enforcing the party constitution and for carrying out the political line and decisions adopted by the party congress.

3. The national council shall represent the party as a whole and be responsible for directing the entire network of the party. The national council shall have the right to take decisions with full authority on any question facing the party.

4. The national council shall elect from among its members a national executive of not more than 31 members to carry on the work of the national council between its two sessions. It shall also elect from among the members of the National Executive the general secretary and secretaries and if deemed necessary one of the secretaries as Deputy General Secretary. These together shall constitute a National Secretariat of not more than nine members. The panel for the National Executive shall be proposed by the outgoing National Executive.

5. The panel may be the exact number to be elected or more as it thinks fit. With more name added from the floor, if any, the list will be voted upon. In such cases the names finally proposed will be in the alphabetical order. This applies to lower levels also.

6. The national council shall elect a treasurer. It may also elect an assistant treasurer. It shall also elect an audit commission to audit the accounts and report on the same to the national council annually.

7. The national council shall have the right to fill up vacancies in and remove any member from the national executive and reconstitute the same.

8. The national council shall fill up any vacancy that may occur in the central control commission.

9. The national council shall meet at least once in every six months or whenever one-third of its total members make a requisition.

10. The national council shall discuss and decide on the political and organizational reports and other matters placed before it by the national executive. The national council may decide to take up any other proposal or question.

11. The national council shall submit its political and organizational report and the report of the audit commission before the party congress, whenever it is convened.

ARTICLE XVIII
NATIONAL EXECUTIVE


1. The national executive shall direct the work of the party during the period between two sessions of the national council. It shall be responsible for the implementation of the decisions and directives of the national council. It shall decide on any political or organizational question as well as on the problems of mass movement and shall guide the state councils. It shall submit a report on its work and discussions to the next meeting of the national council.

2. Carrying out its responsibilities on behalf of the national council, the national executive shall perform the following tasks:

(a) Convene regular sessions of the national council and prepare reports and resolutions for the same and circulate them to its members at least one week before the date of the national council meeting.
(b) Guide and assist state councils.
(c) Guide the party press and publications.
(d) Direct the work of the CPI group in parliament.
(e) Direct the party's work in all India mass organizations (or mass fronts).
(f) Organize party education.
(g) Control party finances.
(h) Maintain relations with fraternal parties.

3. The function of the general secretary, deputy general secretary, if any, and the national secretariat is to direct and carry out the current work on behalf of the national executive.
The national executive will meet at least once every two months. The national executive shall set up departments and committees for discharging specific tasks on its behalf. The departments shall work according to the guidelines laid down by the national executive.

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