context: Strengthening CPC grassroots governance has been Xi Jinping's 习近平 priority. While expanding Party reach into local communities is vital, Beijing acknowledges official structure limits. The Party aims to use grassroots institutions as intermediaries executing 'self-regulation' on its behalf. Following this logic, the National People's Congress revised Urban Resident Committees Organic Law and Villagers' Committees Organic Law, broadening local units' roles in social relief and dispute resolution.
To rollout Xi Jinping’s 习近平 remarks on consolidating Party-led grassroots governance, it is necessary to revise the Organic Laws of Villagers’ Committees and Urban Residents’ Committees to meet new expectations, says spokespeople from the Central Social Work Department, NPC (National People's Congress) Social Development Affairs and Legislative Affairs Commissions.
Since their enactment, the two laws have actualised the Constitution’s provisions on grassroots self-governance, boosting grassroots democracy and advancing whole-process people’s democracy.
Amendments follow four principles
- strengthen Party leadership: guidance runs through all aspects and stages of villagers’ and residents’ committees’ operations
- clarify role of committees as grassroots mass self-governing organisations: safeguard autonomy
- adopt a problem-solving approach: absorb practical practices while allowing room for local innovation
- uphold systems thinking: align similar provisions between the two laws while
- maintaining differentiation based on urban-rural distinctions
- ensuring consistency with other legislation
On shoring up Party leadership, the amendments
- observed Party Constitution requirements: Party units in villages and communities should provide unified leadership
- over all local organisations and affairs
- to ensure grassroots self-governing bodies can fully exercise their functions
- stated that villagers’ and residents’ committees must adhere to CPC leadership
- specified that Party organisations
- lead and support the committees
- guide democratic elections, consultation, decision-making, management and oversight
- codified proven practices
- political vetting of committee candidates
- cross-appointments between Party and committee posts
The amendments also necessitated local governments to build long-term mechanisms to curb burdens on grassroots units
- provided necessary support when delegating tasks to community committees
- improved funding, infrastructure, personnel training and digitalisation measures to empower committees
- specified that village collective economies should fund public affairs and welfare projects
Meanwhile, committees’ duties are expanded to bridge grassroots self-governance and state administration. The following obligations are codified
- public guidance
- promote socialist core values and foster a sense of community of Zhonghua nation
- maintain stability
- organise local security patrols, assist in petition handling, dispute mediation and emergency response
- improve public services
- care for the elderly, children, persons with disabilities and those in difficulty
- encourage social participation
- guide various actors to join local governance and service delivery
- regulate property management
- guide and oversee homeowners’ committees and mediate relevant disputes