By Bakah Derick with reports
China's ruling Communist Party will from Nov 8th – 11th hold its key conclave ahead of next year's Congress which will test major leadership changes rules set in the 2018 constitutional amendments regarding presidential term limits. According to the official announcement this 19th Communist Party of China (CPC) Central Committee Sixth Plenary session will gather together its 370 full alternate members in Beijing.
Members are expected to review key resolutions on the major achievements and historical experience of the party's 100 years achievements celebrated three months ago.
The sixth plenary session is regarded as significant as it is the biggest party meeting ahead of next year's leadership change.
The decision regarding the conclave was concluded at a meeting of the CPC Central Committee Political Bureau presided over by Xi Jinping, who triples as the General Secretary of the party, Commander-in-Chief of the Arm Forces and President of the People’s Republic of China.
In view of this upcoming event a preparatory meeting of the Central Conference, was held last Wednesday 3rd to Thursday 4th in Beijing During this meeting Xi Jinping emphasized the importance of preservation the People’s Congress stating that “The People's Congress System, made by Chinese people under the CPC leadership, is a great creation in the history of political systems as well as a brand new system of great significance in the political history of both China and the world.” He further reiterated that “the People's Congress System has provided an important institutional guarantee for Chinese people, led by the CPC, to create the miracles of fast economic growth and long-term social stability over the past 60 years, particularly over the four decades of reform and opening-up.” This institutional advantage is vital for a country to seize its strategic initiative; history and reality show that a country will be stable if it has a steady system and consequently a stronger country in a sound system. He enjoined participant to work towards fully enforce the Constitution and safeguard its authority and sanctity, and to improve the Chinese socialist system of laws to ensure good governance.
President Xi also made pertinent remarks on what democracy and China’s democracy is. According to President Xi, “Democracy, a shared value of humanity, is a key tenet unswervingly upheld by the CPC and the Chinese people". He further that, democracy is not an ornament to be used for decoration; it is to be used to solve the problems that the people want to solve, Xi said. "Whether a country is a democracy or not depends on whether its people are really the masters of the country," Xi said.
In castigating democracies where politicians that take advantage of their subjects, he was unequivocal "If the people are awakened only for voting but enter a dormant period soon after, if they are given a song and dance during campaigning but have no say after the election, or if they are favored during canvassing but are left out in the cold after the election, such a democracy is not a true democracy".
Politically, the upcoming congress is regarded as a key meeting for Xi, who has emerged as the most powerful leader after party founder Mao Zedong, as he is widely expected to take up an unprecedented third term in office.
Xi's all predecessors retired following the mandatory rule of two five-year terms. Observers say that the key issue to be watched is to see if the party continues to follow precedent on its leadership changes. Along with Xi, Premier Li Keqiang too will be completing his two-term limit in early 2023.
Over the past three decades, the party has usually used the last plenary session to address party affairs, especially on key appointments, ideology and party’s political manifesto.
Since he took over the reins of the CPC in late 2012, Xi has made significant strides in cleaning up the system by leading the high-intensity anti-corruption campaign in which over a million officials, including many top military officials have been flushed out of their ranks and punished. The party and the President Xi have also taken firm actions to control growing moral decadence among the young Chinese inspired by culture celebrities and fan clubs, some popular video platforms such as Idol Talent Shows.
He has also launched several political initiatives, including the realization of the Chinese dream broadly defined as reclaiming the lost greatness of the nation, making China a moderately prosperous society, elimination of absolute poverty, consolidation of the CPC power over the military and integration of Hong Kong, not leaving out so many technological achievements.
Perhaps for an indication setting his third term is the recently launched new initiative called COMMON PROSPERITY for all CHINESE, which is widely reported to be the new policy of redistribution of wealth, ending the era of billionaires in the country. He has also launch the China’s Rural Vitalization Strategy aimed at propelling rural development by the year 2025. The strategy implemented by the CPC Central Committee is anchored in China’s Two Centenary Goals aimed at transforming agriculture into a promising industry, making farming an attractive profession and rural areas into a homeland where people can live in peace and enjoy their work.
This plenum is expected to carry lots of symbolic value for President Xi in terms of his status in the party's history as it looks back at the past 100 years, and as the party presses ahead with the next centenary goal.
As Mao (Zedong) was the founder of new China and Deng (Xiaoping) made it affluent; President Xi, who's overseeing the party at its Centenary, will be seen at the plenum as the leader who made the party and China strong.
President Xi Jinping’s entire message is therefore not only directed to the Chinese people but also to the entire international community to reexamine how they govern their people and practice democracy.
Contributed by Dr Tamunang Tamutana Timothy
International Joint Lab of Behavior and Cognitive Science, Zhengzhou Normal University, Henan-China