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The leading role of the party is a constitutional principle most common in socialist states, normally referred to as communist states by foreign observers. It holds that the ruling party leads the state by virtue of being the vanguard of the proletariat.
The leading role of the Communist Party of the Soviet Union (CPSU) was first enshrined in Article 126 of the Stalin Constitution, which described the Party as "the vanguard of the working people in their struggle to strengthen and develop the socialist system and is the leading core of all organizations of the working people, both public and state."
Article 6 of the 1977 Soviet Constitution had the effect of placing limitations on the political rights of Soviet citizens. While the rest of the constitution theoretically assured the public freedom of speech, freedom of assembly and freedom of press these rights were neutered by the reservation of article 6 that the Communist Party of the Soviet Union was the "leading and guiding force of the Soviet society".
The text of the article follows in English translation.
The leading and guiding force of the Soviet society and the nucleus of its political system, of all state organisations and public organisations, is the Communist Party of the Soviet Union. The CPSU exists for the people and serves the people.
The Communist Party, armed with Marxism–Leninism, determines the general perspectives of the development of society and the course of the home and foreign policy of the USSR, directs the great constructive work of the Soviet people, and imparts a planned, systematic and theoretically substantiated character to their struggle for the victory of communism.
All party organisations shall function within the framework of the Constitution of the USSR.
Similar provisions were found in the constitutions of other Communist states. It was used to justify bans on opposition parties, as well as harsh measures against opposition of any sort. The theory was that since the party was the vanguard of the proletariat, its right to rule could not be legitimately questioned. When non-communist parties were allowed, they were forced into permanent coalitions with the communists. Non-communist parties in these systems were largely subservient to the Communist Party and had to accept its leading role as a condition of their continued existence.
On 15 March 1990 Article 6 was amended by the 3rd Extraordinary Congress of People's Deputies of the Soviet Union,[1] to read as follows:
The Communist Party of the Soviet Union, other political parties as well as labor, youth and other public organisations and mass movements, through their representatives elected to the Councils of People's Deputies and in other forms participate in the policy-making of the Soviet state, in the management of state and public affairs.
This move was introduced by Mikhail Gorbachev in tandem with the creation of the office of the president of the USSR (which he viewed largely as an office for himself), and as a means to formalize the transition to a multi-party political system.[2] After the amending of Article 6 of the Constitution, the CPSU effectively lost its right to rule the Soviet Union's government apparatus; paving the way towards a multi-party democracy.
Similar articles are or were in constitutions of many other countries, where the Communist parties obtained uncontested power. For example the Chinese constitution states that "The defining feature of socialism with Chinese characteristics is the leadership of the Communist Party of China",[3] while the constitution of the Chinese Communist Party declares the party to be the "highest force for political leadership".[4]
References
- ↑ "Law of the USSR of March 14, 1990 N 1360-I 'On the establishment of the office of the President of the USSR and the making of changes and additions to the Constitution (Basic Law) of the USSR'". Garant.ru. Retrieved 12 July 2010.
- ↑ "Отмена 6-й статьи Конституции СССР о руководящей роли КПСС. Справка". RIA Novosti. 14 March 2010. Archived from the original on 14 June 2010. Retrieved 12 July 2010.
- ↑ Wei, Changhao; Hu, Taige (11 March 2018). "Annotated Translation: 2018 Amendment to the PRC Constitution (Version 2.0)". NPC Observer. Archived from the original on 22 December 2018. Retrieved 4 November 2023.
- ↑ Xu, Wei (28 October 2022). "Amendment to the Party Constitution elaborated". China Daily. Retrieved 4 November 2023.