The primary party organs

Fri, 13 Jan 2017 09:08:59 +0000

By Dr Kashiwa Bulaya

Essence of Primary Party Organs

What are primary party organs? The primary party organs are the basic organs and units of the organisational structure of the party. They concentrate and reflect in a specific way all problems and tasks ensuing the life and activities of the party, the individual member and the whole country. Practically the primary party organs are the organisers of the masses for the implementation of the party policy. Their solid, ideological and political maturity and fighting capacity are of decisive importance for the party as a leader of the people in building and management of a new social order. The primary party organs include the party cells, party groups, sections, branches, wards and constituencies.

The formation, consolidation and development of the party cannot be separated from the party’s basis – the primary party organs. Due to the primary party organs the party is built and functions as one socio-political organism. The primary party organs are the basis of the party, which show the structural position and the basic differences in the names of the primary party organs and some changes in their structure, in the content, forms and methods of work, they have always been and will always be the basis, the foundation of the party.

Primary party organs mark the border line between organisation and spontaneity, consciousness and petty-bourgeois loose morals, real party members and casual ones, who have declared themselves to be party members but are actually adventurists, jabberers and political armyworms.

The primary party organs are the basic construction material for building the party and an important factor for the unity, strength and the fighting capacity of the party.  All those who desire to work in harmony with the organisation can and should join the primary party organs. Only in this way can party unity and unity within the organisation be cemented; unity from below, unity in practical activities and unity in the struggle be brought under mutual control.

The Primary Party Organs – Basis of the Party

The paramount factor, which defines the primary party organs as basis of the party is the role they play, connecting the leading bodies of the party with broad masses – the source of the party strength and invincibility. Each party organ must become the basis of agitation, propaganda and organisational work amid the masses. The primary party organs are set up in every locality. They are everywhere in the residential areas, in institutions, at places of work, in the villages, in towns and cities. Through them the party feels the pulse of all spheres of life and carries out its everyday political, organisational, ideological and educational work among the people for the implementation of its policy.

Primary party organs are fully capable of maintaining close contacts with the masses, carry out a systematic political, ideological, educational and organisational work for the implementation of the tasks, set up by the decisions of the party. Through the broad network of the party groups, party organs within the primary party organisations and through the army of party members, many strong primary party organs could reach the brain and the heart of every man and woman, study and get to know him or her, know what moves him or her, what are the perspectives of his or her development, his or her personal problems etc. In a word, they could exercise a manifold influence upon him or her. It is a duty of primary importance of each party member, to work for the strengthening of the party links with the masses, to respond promptly to the needs of the people, to explain the policy and decisions of the party to the non-party men and women and to involve them actively in the economic and cultural construction.

The party has at its disposal powerful means of connection with the masses. These are public and some other organisations within society, the press, the radio, television, internet, meetings, conferences, rallies, seminars etc. It is beyond doubt that the mass media play an important role for the expansion and consolidation of the links of the party with the masses. No matter how big their importance is, they could never oust the live, direct and constructive link, established between the party and the people through the primary party organs and the individual party members.

The expansion and consolidation of the party links with the masses depend much on the capability of the primary party organs of combining the fulfilment of the economic plans and tasks with the satisfaction of the needs of the people and a prompt response to their just criticism and suggestions. The higher the concern of the primary party organs for better labour safety, services, transport, health care, holiday, for elimination of irregularities, for appropriate combination of material and moral stimuli, for improvement of the atmosphere in the working places, the better the result of labour of each worker, the higher the authority of the primary party organs and the stronger the connections with the people.

The primary party organs are the basis of the party because they realise the principles of membership in the party. Through them members are admitted only individually and party membership is open to the best representatives of the people. Nobody has the right to declare himself or herself a member of the party unless he or she is admitted to one of the primary party organs after observing the procedure for admission.

The party organ verifies the devotion of the party member to the cause of the party and the people. The party member is given concrete party assignments by the primary party organ and reports their fulfilment to the organisation.  He or she takes part in the discussion of the problems and in the process of decision-making; exercises his or her statute right to elect and be elected, to criticise irregularities and shortcomings; to study and cultivate new virtues; loyalty to the cause of the party and the people, honesty, modesty, intolerance to injustice and of violations of public interests, lofty sense of public duty, conscious discipline etc.  In short, in the primary party organs the party member develops into a dedicated fighter for the victory of the transformation and change.

The primary party organs are the basis of the party because through them the party members participate in the elaboration of the party policy, which is a manifestation of democratism in the party. The Party Constitution gives the party members the right to take part in the discussion of the party policy and practical activities at party meetings, conferences, congresses, conventions, sittings of the party committees and other party functions; to express openly and uphold opinions until the party organ takes a decision.  In that way party members are enabled to promoting their initiative, activity and responsibility and are made energetic persons and architects of the party policy.

The primary party organs discuss important party and government documents – draft programmes (where the party is in government) and draft-statutes of the party, draft- decrees, theses etc. and the party members express their opinions, move concrete suggestions and critical notes. Besides that they send many letters, move suggestions, to the press, radio, television and other institutions.

The primary party organs are the basis of the party because they are the foundation for the building of all party bodies from the lowest to the highest. The primary party organs elect the members of the party committees, delegates to the ward and constituency conferences, who in turn, elect the delegates to the district party conferences and the latter elect the delegates to the provincial conferences and the party congress. The Congress elects the higher bodies of the party – Central Committee, National Executive Committee or National Management Committee. It becomes clear that in order to elect the higher bodies of the party, the process must start from below – from the basic organs of the party – the primary party organs.

The primary party organs make the party develop as a live, powerful and highly organised organism, full of vigour and creativity. Through their activities, primary party organs contribute to the development of polity.

Taking into consideration the decisive importance of the primary party organs and the role they play as basic units of the party, the party leadership at all levels should pay high attention to their consolidation and development, to the improvement of their style and methods of work, to the promotion of their fighting capacity etc.

Structure of the Primary

Party Organs

The structure is the sum total of individual elements, which are in organic unity and hierarchical interdependence.

The structure of the primary party organ shows the component units, their functions and the nature of their interdependence.  Each structural unit is relatively independent in relation to the whole – the primary party organs.

The structure of the party as well as the structure of the primary party organ do not remain static. On the contrary, they change and improve along the line of contributing most effectively to the promotion of the role of the primary party organs as bodies for political leadership, fulfilling effectively their tasks, extending their connections with the masses and carrying out an active inner-party life based on norms and principles of the party.

The structure of the primary party organs is regulated by the Party Constitution and applied in accordance with the concrete conditions.

A political party without primary party organs loses touch with the people and reality. It remains as an organisation set up merely for propaganda and agitation. A political party without primary party organs remains a one man show with no future and turns itself into an unsolicited “spokesperson” of other political parties.

The primary party organs are endorsed by the respective higher bodies of the party or by the political departments. This act is a practical demonstration of party centralism and it consolidates the principle of setting up the party as an organised body of people, as a harmonious system of organisations.