贾庆林：健全社会主义协商民主制度（中英对照）

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The Development of Socialist Consultative Democracy in China

贾庆林

Jia Qinglin

人民民主是我们党始终高扬的光辉旗帜。党的十八大报告明确提出，要坚持走中国特色社会主义政治发展道路和推进政治体制改革。改革开放以来，我们总结发展社会主义民主正反两方面经验，不断推进政治体制改革，社会主义民主政治建设取得重大进展，成功开辟和坚持了中国特色社会主义政治发展道路，为实现最广泛的人民民主确立了正确方向。政治体制改革是我国全面改革的重要组成部分。继续积极稳妥推进政治体制改革，必须坚持党的领导、人民当家作主、依法治国有机统一，更加注重改进党的领导方式和执政方式，更加注重健全民主制度、丰富民主形式，更加注重发挥法治在国家治理和社会管理中的重要作用，充分发挥社会主义政治制度优越性，积极借鉴人类政治文明有益成果，绝不照搬西方政治制度模式，发展更加广泛、更加充分、更加健全的人民民主。

The CPC has always upheld the great banner of people’s democracy. The report to the 18th National Congress of the CPC clearly states that we need to keep to the socialist path of political advancement with Chinese characteristics and promote the continuation of political reforms. Since the launch of the reform and opening up drive, we have taken stock of both our positive and negative experiences in the development of socialist democracy, worked to steadily promote political reform, and made major progress in developing socialist democracy. As a result, we have been successful in forging and adhering to a socialist path of political advancement with Chinese characteristics, which has put us on the right course for achieving the most extensive possible people’s democracy in China. Political reforms constitute an important part of China’s overall reforms. In continuing to carry out political reform, we need to ensure the unity of the leadership of the Party, the position of the people as masters of the country, and the rule of law. We need to place greater emphasis on enhancing the way that the Party exercises leadership and governance, on improving the systems of democracy, and on diversifying the forms in which democracy is embodied. We need to give greater scope to the important role that the rule of law plays in national governance and social management. We also need to give full play to the strength of the socialist political system whilst drawing on the political achievements of other societies. However, under no circumstances will we ever copy the Western political system. Through our efforts, we will make people’s democracy wider in scope, fuller in form, and sounder in practice.

坚持中国特色社会主义政治发展道路，一个重要方面就是大力发展社会主义协商民主。十八大报告首次提出“社会主义协商民主是我国人民民主的重要形式”。要求“健全社会主义协商民主制度”，强调“要完善协商民主制度和工作机制，深入进行专题协商、对口协商、界别协商、提案办理协商，积极开展基层民主协商，推进协商民主广泛、多层、制度化发展”。把协商民主正式写进党代会报告，是十八大的重要历史贡献，也是重大理论创新，充分体现了我们党推进人民民主的坚定信心，对于发展中国特色社会主义民主政治具有重要指导作用，对于推动人类政治文明发展必将作出有益贡献。

In committing to the socialist path of political advancement with Chinese characteristics, it is important that we make greater efforts to develop socialist consultative democracy. The report to the 18th National Congress of the CPC states that “socialist consultative democracy is an important form of people’s democracy in our country.” It requires that we need to “improve the system of socialist consultative democracy,” and stresses that we must “improve its institutions and work mechanisms,” “conduct intensive consultations on special issues with those who work on those issues, consultations on a sector-by-sector basis, and consultations on the handling of proposals,” “carry out democratic consultation at the community level,” and “promote its extensive, multilevel, and institutionalized development.” The formal inclusion of consultative democracy in the report to the 18th National Congress of the CPC represents an important historical contribution and a major theoretical innovation of the Communist Party of China. Fully demonstrating the firm confidence of the Party in promoting people’s democracy, it will play an important guiding role in our efforts to develop socialist democracy with Chinese characteristics, and will undoubtedly benefit the progression of political civilization in all societies.

一、充分认识社会主义协商民主的重要意义

I. Fully understanding the significance of socialist consultative democracy

协商民主是中国共产党和中国人民在社会主义民主形式方面的伟大创造，是对马克思主义民主理论的丰富和发展。社会主义协商民主具有鲜明特点和独特优势，既坚持社会主义制度，又继承和发扬中国优秀政治文化传统；既坚持民主集中制的组织原则和领导制度，又肯定广大人民群众的民主地位；既坚持中国共产党的领导，又发挥各党派团体、各族各界人士的作用。协商民主的重要性和优越性，主要体现在以下三个方面。

Consultative democracy was created by the CPC and the Chinese people as a form of socialist democracy. In this sense, consultative democracy represents the grand product of our efforts to enrich and develop Marxist theories on democracy. Socialist consultative democracy exhibits distinctive features as well as unique advantages. Not only representing a commitment to socialism, it carries forward China’s fine political and cultural traditions. Not only representing a commitment to the organizational principles and leadership mode of democratic centralism, it also affirms the role of the general public in democracy. Not only representing a commitment to the leadership of the CPC, it also gives play to the role of all political parties and organizations as well as people of all ethnic groups and all sectors of society. The importance and superiorities of consultative democracy are mainly embodied in the following three aspects.

第一，协商民主是社会主义民主政治独特优势的重要体现。社会主义民主的本质是人民当家作主，协商民主充分体现了社会主义民主的真实性、广泛性、包容性。协商民主以社会主义制度为政治基础，集中反映了广大人民群众的根本利益。协商民主的主体涵盖社会各界、各方面人士，既反映多数人的普遍愿望，又吸纳少数人的合理主张，可以最大程度地实现最广大人民的民主权利。健全社会主义协商民主制度，与我国社会主义制度的本质要求相统一，与人民群众民主意识不断增强的趋势相适应，有助于拓宽有序政治参与渠道，有助于彰显社会主义制度的特点和优势。

First, consultative democracy is an important manifestation of the unique superiorities of socialist democracy. The essence of socialist democracy is that the people are the masters of the country. In this sense, consultative democracy fully embodies the authenticity, broadness, and inclusiveness of socialist democracy. Taking the socialist system as its foundation, consultative democracy reflects the fundamental interests of the general public. Given that its participants come from all sectors of society and all walks of life, consultative democracy is able to reflect the general wishes of the majority whilst taking the rational claims of the minority into account. This allows for the democratic rights of the overwhelming majority of the people to be realized to the maximum extent. The improvement of socialist consultative democracy falls in line with both the essence of China’s socialist system and the trend of increasing democratic awareness among the public. Therefore, it is an effort that will not only expand the channels for orderly participation in governance, but also demonstrate the features and superiorities of China’s socialist system.

第二，协商民主是党和政府科学民主决策的重要途径。坚持协商于决策之前和决策执行过程中，是我们党治国理政的重要经验，也是重大决策必须坚持的重要原则。协商民主注重民主的实质，承认利益多样，在平等、宽松的氛围中，对经济社会发展中的重要问题和人民群众关心的热点难点问题进行协商讨论，在协商中深化认识、消除误解、增进理解、形成共识。通过协商，能够广开言路、广集众智、广求良策，把社会各方面分散的意见、愿望和要求进行系统、综合的反映，听到各种真知灼见、各种真招实招，使党和政府决策更加符合实际、顺应民意。

Second, consultative democracy is an important means for the Party and government to make scientific and democratic decisions. Carrying out consultations before policies are made and during the course of their implementation is an important method of governance employed by the Party and an important principle that must be adhered to in major policy-making activities. Consultative democracy emphasizes the substance of democracy and acknowledges the diversity of interests. Taking place in a relaxed environment that emphasizes equality, consultations comprise of discussions on major issues in economic and social development and discussions on the major concerns and difficulties of the public. Through the course of these consultations, we are able to deepen understanding, dispel misunderstandings, promote mutual understanding, and reach common understandings. Through consultation, we are able to widely solicit opinions, pool wisdom, and seek out the best ways of solving problems. Consultation allows us to piece together opinions, wishes, and demands from all walks of life and reflect them in a systematic and comprehensive way. As a means by which we can hear real voices and seek real solutions, it enables the Party and the government to make policy decisions that conform to realities and the will of the people.

第三，协商民主是实现党的领导的重要形式。我们党的领导，一个显著特点就是寓领导于协商之中。协商的过程，既是广泛听取各种不同声音、充分吸收有益意见建议的过程，同时也是让社会各方面了解和接受党的政治主张和路线方针政策的过程。大力发展社会主义协商民主，体现了执政党对人民意愿和人民权利的尊重，有利于密切党与人民群众的联系，推动改进党的领导方式和执政方式，保证党领导人民有效治理国家。

Third, consultative democracy serves as an important form of the CPC’s leadership. A prominent feature of the CPC’s leadership is the fact that it is exercised through consultation. Consultation is a process in which the Party is able to extensively hear different voices and take onboard the valuable opinions and advice of the people. It is also a process in which all sectors of society are able to learn about and accept the political views, lines, principles, and policies of the Party. In making a major effort to improve consultative democracy, the Party has demonstrated the respect that it has for the will and the rights of the people. This effort will be conducive to strengthening the ties between the Party and the people, promoting improvements to the way that the Party exercises leadership and governance, and ensuring that the Party leads the people in effectively governing the country.