Congress with a difference

A party congress is the highest forum of a Communist party. It is held at regular intervals, and in the case of CPM, every three years. The party congress is the supreme arbiter on questions of policy and organisation. On the agenda of every congress are two main documents 8212; the political resolution and the political-organisational report.

8226;How is it different from conferences of other parties?

The draft of the political resolution is released two months before the party congress for discussion at all levels of the party. All the committees and individual members have the right to suggest amendments to the draft political resolution. In this manner, the entire rank and file of the CPM gets an opportunity to participate in the formulation of the political-tactical line of the party for the coming three years. The leadership of the party, elected by the congress, is mandated to implement this line.

More than 4,000 such amendments and around 700 suggestions were received before the 19th CPM congress. The central committee 8212; the highest decision-making body of the party between two congresses 8212; considers these amendments and places a report in the congress on their acceptance/non-acceptance. The delegates attending the congress also can move any amendment during the congress and if they are rejected, have an opportunity to press for their amendments. In such case, decision is taken by the delegates through voting.

8226;What are the other functions of the party congress?

The second important document taken up by the CPM congress is the political-organisational report. It presents a review of implementation of political line adopted at the previous Congress. It also reviews the organisational status of the party and mass organisations. The report also sets out political-organisational tasks for the coming three years. Besides adopting resolutions on important current issues, the congress may adopt comprehensive resolutions on matters relating to ideology. Only the congress can make a change in the party constitution.

The other important task of a congress is the election of the central committee, which then elects the polit bureau and the general secretary of the party.

8226;Who attends the CPM congress?

Delegates and observers to the party congress are elected in conferences of various state units of the party. The quota for each state unit is decided on the basis of membership of the party in that state. Delegates to the state conferences are elected in district conferences and this chain continues upto the branch level which is the grassroots unit of the party. More than 700 delegates and more than 100 observers are attending the 19th congress in Coimbatore.

Fraternal delegations from Communist and workers8217; parties of various countries also attend the congress.

8226;What is the process of consultation in the congress?

The main documents presented before the party congress are formulated by the outgoing central committee of the party. After introduction of these documents, that is, the political resolution and the political-organisational report, time for discussion is allotted to all the state delegations on the basis of their organisational strength. As a regular feature, after every presentation, separate time for translation is given in which the speech of the delegate is translated into respective languages by all the delegations.

The polit bureau, which acts as the steering committee of the congress, considers the suggestions/amendments /points placed by the delegates. Whatever is thought to be necessary is then incorporated in the document. The document is then put to vote after the reply to the discussion. Once the party congress adopts the document, it becomes the official position of the CPM.