A Chinese Solution Multiparty cooperation and political consultation provide a new way to view democracy

On March 4, President Xi Jinping, also General Secretary of the Communist Party of China （CPC） Central Committee, attended a joint panel discussion with political advisors from the China Democratic League and the China Zhi Gong Party, those without party affiliation and those from the sector of returned over seas Chinese.

Women’s Councils:A Practical Exploration on the Construction of Democracy, Autonomy and the Rule of Law at the Grassroots Level

The women’s councils are an innovation advocated by the All-China women’s federation for women’s participation in social management and grassroots democracy.They are a beneficial exploration for women to participate in public affairs according to the law in accordance with Article 2 of the Constitution of the People’s Republic of China,and are a model of"the combination of autonomy,rule of law and rule of virtue."The women’s councils have aroused the enthusiasm of women to participate in public affairs,stimulated their autonomous vitality and creativity,and helped to solve the problems of women’s lack of representation and voice in decision-making.The process of deliberation is also the process of developing the awareness of rights,rules,consultation ability,the concept of the rule of law and even thinking about the rule of law.The women’s councils not only help to protect the rights and interests of women and children and promote women’s development,but also has unique value in enriching grassroots consultative democracy,developing grassroots mass autonomy,building a society ruled by law and promoting the implementation of the Constitution.we should therefore fully affirm,support and perfect the women’s councils so as to make it long-term,standardized and institutionalized.

The Role of Consultative Democracy under the Constitutional Framework and the Associated Rule of Law

The logical sequence of China＇s state governance is ＂governing party--consultative conferences--people＇s congresses--the people.＂ The ＂governing party--consultative conferences＂ link in the chain involves political consultation through people＇s consultative conferences. The ＂governing party--consultative conferences--people＇s congresses＂ link involves a process of obtaining legitimacy for the Party＇s views based on political consultations which are then translated into the national will by the system of people＇s congresses. The ＂people＇s congresses--the people＂ link involves the two-pronged logic of elections and governing the country according to law. The ＂governing party--the people＂ link is an illustration of the party＇s mass line, which essentially involves social consultation. Consultative democracy usually includes the political consultation in the ＂governing party---consultative conferences＂ link and the social consultation in the ＂governing party-- the people＂ link in the chain, both of which are connected through the system of people＇s congresses. This logically determines the inner relations between the Party＇s leadership, consultative democracy and the people＇s congress form of representative democracy and shapes the institutionalization of consultative democracy. That is, in the process of democratic decision-making, a circular system consisting of ＂political consultation-- legislative consultation--social consultation＂ is created to guide development of the actual system.

The Role of Consultative Democracy in a Constitutional System and the Rule of Law in China

The rule of law in China should be advanced under a systems framework. The systems framework on which the Chinese rule of law relies is shaped by the socialist democratic system. Socialist consultative democracy, which responds to the core themes of the determinant of socialism, Party leadership, the democratic tradition of New China and native resources for constructing the rule of law, is an important resource for constructing the rule of law in China. In a constitutional system of＂ruling Party--political power--the people＂ that takes the sovereignty of the people as the logic of its starting point, consultative democracy plays the role of functional coupling. Popular sovereignty gains political legitimacy on the basis of multi- party cooperation and political consultation under the leadership of the CPC, thus translating the will of the ruling Party into the will of the state. Consultative democracy constitutes an essential process in national decision-making, affording a basis for the construction of the inherent logical sequence of ＂ruling Party--Consultative Conference--People＇s Congress.＂ The democratic supervision exercised by the Consultative Conference is an extension of political consultation; from it unfolds the systems framework of the rule of law in China.

The Legal Dimensions of Whole-Process People’s Democracy

The concept of whole-process people’s democracy can be analyzed in terms of four the rule of law dimensions:continuous democracy,authentic democracy,extensive democracy and consultative democracy.Continuous democracy means that democracy provides a continuous and uninterrupted mechanism in terms of stage,time and space,which can ensure the continuous participation of the people in the management of state and social affairs.Authentic democracy is not only embodied creation of opportunities and conditions for the people to have more channels and methods of participation in the management of state and social affairs,but is also reflected in the process of democratic practice,including the protection of legitimate rights and interests of the minority.Extensive democracy means that the people are fully and deeply involved in the management of state and social affairs as well as their own affairs,from the operation of the state system to social life at the community level,and from pre-election to post-election.Consultative democracy is a means of realizing people’s democracy in the whole process.It applies consultation and seeks truth,aiming at building consensus.Moreover,it integrates various channels of consultation,and integrates democracy into all aspects of the work of the Communist Party of China(CPC)and government and in all aspects of the people’s political and social life.