Chapter 97 Several Explanations on Convening the National People's Congress[1]

(January 13, 1953) Is it appropriate to hold elections and formulate election laws now? With regard to this issue, after several meetings to exchange views, judging from the opinions expressed by everyone today, it is relatively clear and clear.But there are still some issues that need to be explained. In summary, there are four. 1. What is the basis for this? One aspect of the basis is the provisions of the "Common Programme" [2].In the past three years, military operations on the mainland have ended, land reform has been basically completed, people from all walks of life have been organized, and the conditions for holding national elections are ripe.

The Chinese people have been fighting for this democracy for fifty or sixty years since the end of the Qing Dynasty.The period from the Sino-Japanese War of 1891 to the Revolution of 1911 was a climax.At that time, we asked for democracy from the Qing government, later we asked for democracy from the Beiyang warlord government, and after that we asked for democracy from the Chiang Kai-shek Kuomintang government.Whenever they wanted democracy, that government said: We always want to implement democracy.The Qing government said so, but they just refused to give it.After Chiang Kai-shek listened to our suggestion, he did not explicitly say that he did not want democracy.Once, when I was in Chongqing, the Kuomintang issued a statement, which said: "The political power belongs to the people, not the party," and another sentence: "Struggle cannot be without responsibility, and we must bear the responsibility." One sentence seems to be beneficial to the people, but according to the latter sentence, it becomes their benefit.Struggle cannot be without responsibility! That is to say, they must first bear the responsibility for this struggle.Chiang Kai-shek said that he wanted to return the power to the people. At that time we said: return it slowly.He just didn't listen and must pay it back.In the end, he really achieved his "purpose" and returned power to the people, and he went to Taiwan by himself.

At the same time, there is also the issue of the CPPCC.Should there be another session of the National Political Consultative Conference, and then the National People's Congress? Member Chen Shutong[3] said that another session would take at least two years.If the election of deputies to the National People's Congress is not held this year, it will be held next year, or the year after that.Instead of doing it next year, it's better to do it this year.If the National People's Congress is held after the Political Consultative Conference in two years, it will not be easy to handle, so it is better to hold the National People's Congress.Therefore, based on these conditions and considerations, it is better to convene the National People's Congress as soon as possible.

Second, what is the effect of doing so? Member Chen Shutong said that after doing this work, people's democracy can be further developed.Indeed, as a result of democratic elections for the township governments in the suburbs of Beijing, 50% of the township chiefs were elected, because the 50% of the people did bad things and the people were not happy with them.In order to promote democracy, it is necessary to have a national general election for political organizations, especially the county and township levels.This has a positive effect on promoting economic construction and strengthening leadership in economic construction.It is also good for the Resist US Aggression and Aid Korea. Committee member Fu Zuoyi [4] said that it can strengthen the Resist US Aggression and Aid Korea.I saw a speech by Eisenhower[5] the day before yesterday, in which he said: It is impossible for China to hold democratic elections.For Eisenhower, he will invade if you hold elections, and he will invade if you don’t hold elections. The problem is determined by our own work.If our work is done better, the people's democracy is further developed, economic construction is done better, and the strength to resist US aggression and aid Korea is strengthened, then it will be possible to make it give up its aggression.Therefore, in order to promote democracy, to strengthen economic construction, and to strengthen the struggle against imperialism, elections and a constitution must be held.

3. Is it possible to do this? Is there any difficulty? There will always be difficulties, we say, but fewer difficulties than the few things we have done.For example, it is not as difficult as resisting U.S. aggression and aiding Korea; it is not as difficult as land reform; it is not as difficult as suppressing counter-revolutionaries, the "three evils" and "five evils", and economic recovery in three years.Premier Zhou Enlai said that our country's financial base this year has increased two and a half times compared to 1950.Therefore, there are difficulties, but through our efforts, training cadres and arranging work well, we can overcome these difficulties and do a good job in the election work.

4. Is this beneficial to certain parties, classes, or groups? Just now Premier Zhou Enlai said that in our country, the majority ethnic group is the Han nationality, the majority party is the Communist Party, the majority class is the peasant class and the petty bourgeoisie, and the majority people's organizations are the trade unions, youth leagues, women's federations, and peasant associations. This is in terms of their percentage of the national population.In this way, whether it is a minority, a class with a small number (for example, the working class is small, and the bourgeoisie is even small), a party with a small number, and a group with a small number will have no share in the political organization, and there will be no food to eat. What? If you have many people, you will become kings, isn't that true? Not so.Draft Resolution [6] stated that the achievements made in the past three years are due to "the unity and efforts of all nationalities, democratic classes, democratic parties, and people's organizations in the country."So, is it true that starting from this year or next year, the unity and efforts of all nationalities, democratic classes, democratic parties and people's organizations will no longer be necessary? No, it is still necessary.Why should it? History over the past three years has shown that there are benefits to doing so.Therefore, apart from those counter-revolutionaries and unpatriotic elements, all patriots and people who can unite should unite, and this will always be the case.If we say that we will still be united three years later, then ten years later, our country will enter socialism and the bourgeoisie will disappear. Is it because he was a capitalist in the past, and even though he is patriotic now, he is not wanted? Of course not, because He is patriotic!

Is the ratio of delegate quotas the same as that of the CPPCC in the past? It will not be exactly the same and should be changed.It has to take care of both the majority and the minority.Historically, there have been governments that simply took care of the minority, such as the Qing government and the Chiang Kai-shek government, which completely took care of the minority.Our focus is to take care of the many while taking care of the few.Representatives of all nationalities, parties, and classes who are loyal to the cause of the people's state, who have done their jobs, who have made considerable achievements, and who have a good attitude towards the people have a share.I think the majority, even the majority, the vast majority of them may be elected by the people.However, if you want me to write a guarantee, I cannot write it, because it is the people's business, and it is possible for the people to elect you.Of course, we should have proper arrangements.So, don't worry about this one.

Some people say that from your editorial [7], we don’t have a share, because that editorial said: If it is “good” and “necessary”, then only the Communist Party has a share.I said that there are many bad and unnecessary people in the Communist Party. If the people are not satisfied, they will be elected.Among the minority nationalities, classes with few numbers, parties with few numbers, and groups with few numbers, there are also many good and necessary ones.The statement in the editorial must also be analyzed.Since that editorial was published, there have been some reactions in major cities. I hope that everyone present at the meeting will do some explaining work among the democratic parties.

Someone asked, is there any other arrangement for those who have not been elected as deputies to the National People's Congress and provincial people's congresses? Yes.Can I still do government work? Yes.Should government ministers and deputy ministers be elected as representatives? Not necessarily, and it is not necessary.If the ministers, the directors of the general office, and even the chiefs of the sections have to be elected as representatives, then the people below will say, you can just hold a cadre meeting, so what do you need us to do? So the majority of the representatives should still be the people below , labor heroes like Hao Jianxiu and Li Shunda[8].They come and go back after the meeting.Those who are not selected can be arranged to do government work.In short, the central question remains the same: all patriots (as long as they have this qualification) will enter socialism together, and we have no reason not to enter socialism with them.

Published based on the transcript of the speech kept by the Central Archives. -------------------------------------------------- ------------------------------ note [1] This is Mao Zedong's speech at the twentieth meeting of the Central People's Government Committee. [2] Article 12 of the "Common Program of the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference" adopted by the First Plenary Session of the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference on September 29, 1949 states: "The state power of the People's Republic of China belongs to the people. The organs through which the people exercise state power are the people's congresses and the people's governments at all levels. The people's congresses at all levels are elected by the people through universal suffrage. The people's congresses at all levels elect the people's governments at all levels."

[3] Chen Shutong, then a member of the Central People's Government and vice chairman of the CPPCC National Committee. [4] Fu Zuoyi, was a member of the Central People's Government, a member of the National Committee of the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference, and Minister of Water Resources. [5] Eisenhower, an American Republican, was elected President of the United States at that time. [6] Refers to the Central People's Government Committee's "Resolution on Convening the National People's Congress and Local People's Congresses at All Levels" that will be passed at this meeting. [7] Refers to People's Daily's 1953 New Year's Day editorial "Meeting the Great Task of 1953".When talking about the convening of the National People's Congress and local people's congresses at various levels, and the election of the central and local people's governments, the editorial said: "From now on, we should carry out the most extensive propaganda among the masses, telling the people to seriously prepare for this In order to elect those who are truly satisfied and considered necessary by the people as deputies and members of the people's government". [8] Hao Jianxiu, born in 1935 in Qingdao, Shandong, was a worker at the No. 6 Qingdao National Cotton Factory.In 1951, he was awarded the title of National Industrial Model Worker for inventing the advanced working method of cotton spinning spun yarn stoppers, namely "Hao Jianxiu's working method".Li Shunda (1915-1983), a native of Pingshun, Shanxi, organized the first mutual aid group in the Shanxi-Hebei-Shandong-Henan border area in Xigou Village, Pingshun County, Shanxi in 1943, leading the masses to transform mountainous areas according to local conditions. From poor to rich.In 1944 and 1946, he was awarded the title of first-class labor hero in Taihang District twice.In 1951 and 1952, he successively won the first-class labor model medal and the Patriotic and Harvest Gold Star Medal.