Organisation and Structure of the Communist Party

Organisation and Structure of the Communist Party

Guidelines on the Organizational Structure of Communist Parties, on the Methods and Content of their Work Adopted at the 24th Session of the Third Congress of the Communist International, 12 July 1921

I. GENERAL PRINCIPLES

1. The organisation of the Party must be adapted to the conditions and to the goal of its activity. The Communist Party must be the vanguard, the advanced post of the Proletariat, through all the phases of revolutionary class struggle and during the subsequent transition period towards the realization of Socialism, i.e., the first stage of the Communist society.

2. There can be no absolutely infallible and unalterable form of organisation for the Communist Parties. The conditions of the proletarian class struggle are subject to changes in a continuous process of evolution, and in accordance with these changes, the organisation of the proletarian vanguard must be constantly seeking for the corresponding forms. The peculiar conditions of every individual country likewise determine the special adaptation of the forms of organisation of the respective Parties.

But this differentiation has definite limits. Regardless of all peculiarities, the quality of the conditions of the proletarian class struggle in the various countries, and through the various phases of the proletarian revolution, is of fundamental importance to the international Communist movement, creating a common basis for the organisation of the Communist Parties in all countries.

Upon this basis, it is necessary to develop the organisation of the Communist Parties, but not to seek to establish any new model parties instead of the existing ones and to aim at any absolutely correct form of organisation and ideal constitutions.

3. Most Communist Parties, and consequently the Communist International as the united party of the revolutionary proletariat of the world, have this common feature in their conditions of struggle, that they still have to fight against the dominant bourgeoisie. To conquer the bourgeoisie, and to wrest the power from its hands is, for all of them, until further developments, the determining and guiding main goal. Accordingly, the determining factor in the organizing activity of the Communist Parties in the capitalist countries must be the upbuilding of such organisations, as will make the victory of the proletarian revolution over the possessing classes, both possible and secure.

4. Leadership is a necessary condition for any common action, but most of all, it is indispensable in the greatest fight in the world's history. The organisation of the Communist Party is the organisation of Communist leadership in the proletarian revolution.

To be a good leader, the Party itself must have good leadership. Accordingly, the principal task of our organisational work must be -education, organisation and training of efficient Communist Parties under capable directing organs to the leading place in the proletarian revolutionary movement.

5. The leadership in the revolutionary class struggle presupposes the organic combination of the greatest possible striking force and of the greatest adaptability on the part of the Communist Party and its leading organs to the ever-changing conditions of the struggle. Furthermore, successful leadership requires, absolutely, the closest association with the proletarian masses. With out such association, the leadership will not lead the masses, but at best, will follow behind the masses.

The organic unity in the Communist Party organisation must be attained through democratic centralization.