PRINCIPLES, STRUCTURE, AND FUNCTIONS OF A 'NATIONAL' COMMUNIST PARTY (PART 2) CADRE DEVELOPMENT:

• Document Type: CREST
• Collection: General CIA Records
• Document Number (FOIA) /ESDN (CREST): CIA-RDP78-03362A001600070008-7
• Release Decision: RIFPUB
• Original Classification: K
• Document Page Count: 22
• Document Creation Date: November 17, 2016
• Document Release Date: August 8, 2000
• Sequence Number: 8
• Content Type: OUTLINE

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PRINCIPLES, STRUCTURE AND FUNCTIONS OF A "NATIONAL"COMMUNIST PARTY (Part 2)
CADRE DEVELOPMENT:
Selection and duties of Party functionaries:
1. introduction Page 1
II. Page 1
IV. Coia ,osition, Working Methods and
:''lection of the Cell Corriittee
V. Election of the Cell Committee Page 1.
VI. Duties of Cell. Cor .iittee Members Page 5
~'tL Lct-Lonaries )
VII, {'i~. zee Control Connittee Page 15
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I.? Introduction
A. The principal organizational unit cif the Party is the primary
Party Organization (industrial) (factory, also known as plant, section,
unit, shop, or industrial cell). The reason for this is that the
Party finds its support mainly in the proletariat, especially among
indistrial workers.
These workers are the most progressive section of the population.
They are most receptive to the ideas of Marxism-Leninism.
On account of their sense for organization and discipline, their
place in society and their fighting experience, they are the main support
of the party.
The problems of workers' participation, factory management, nationali-
zation, etc., both in a general sense and with reference to their own -
factol*y, shall be discussed within the industrial cells.
The industrial cell are sub-divisions of the political Party.
Thus they have a specific task and should not enter the field of the
labor movement. The activities of the Party must be kept separate from
the labor movement within a plant . The Party does not interfere with the
internal affairs of the labor organizations. Naturally the Communists
have their opinion about the activities of the labor organizations and
the manner in which the labor movement carries out these functions.
They fight in the political arena for the unity of the working class and
the toiling masses; it is clear, therefore, that the Communists are
also the champions of unity within the labor movement. But they conduct
this '~;_;' : ? us members of the lbbor movement, by making known their
insight- to their fellow members and by seeking to win ther.i over to their
viewpoint. They shall not be guilty of establishing factions or of
organizing Communist groups within the labor movement.
B. Further there are Primary Party Organizations in residential
districts (residential cells) as a form of organizational units which
comprise all the members who cannot be placed in.the above mentioned
industrial cells. These sells take in those Party members who are
active in small industries or offices, the self-employed, housewives,
etc. Theirs is the task of organizing and carrying out political
actions in the residential districts, leading the woiking masses in
the fight for peace, welfare, and socialism.
II.
The members make up the Party. They are part of the toiling masses
with whom they must therefore be closely united. Every member must be
used actively by assigning him to ft task to which he is fit. All
functions must be assigned and the Party organization must therefore
be as simple as possible.
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A. A Party District is divided into cells (industrial cells
and cells in residential districts),
For the administration of such a cell, the members elect a cell
cot :iittee,, consisting of the following ' individuals:
Political Secretary
Organizational Secretary
Propaganda-Leader
Assistant Propa;anda-Leader'
Training Functionary
Youth. Functionary
Functionary for Economic Matters
etc.
The cell corlrxittee keeps in touch with the members, first by
collection of dues, by r.~e.:ib~ rship meetings, training courses, reading
matter, etc.
In general, it ray be said that the organizational form of the
industrial cell differs greatly from that of a residential cell.
It is, moreover, impossible and, would even be incorrect, to
set u an' organizational chart wt:.icz would inply to all existing and
possible future industrial cells.
In determining the organizational set-up of a certain factory
group, the characteristics o-' the: 3roua in question are of i-treat
importance. It would be impossible', for instance, to carry out the
sane system for a transportation group as for factory groups or
government workers.
It is helpful, therefore, to find out which organizational form
is the most effective for each group. In determining the form,
one seeks to establish.the closestaffiliation possible of the Party
i:ie..bers inyolved.
Coordination with the ]District, coz:u:'ittee is parti,cular:Ly essential
in this case.
U. The Residential., Cell
Let us discuss, here, ~. typiccl exai:iple if the organization of a
residential cell, consisting of 500' members. We' assume that these
live at 400 different addresses, since several i:iembers of the same
family may be members of the Parts.
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We divide this.; cell, into four blocs (columns) including also the
streets where none or only a few Party comrades live. Each column is
divided into ten precincts and each ward consists of ten addresses of
Party members. The blocs usually carry a letter designation, allowing
also the wards.to be identified (for exatmle column letter A, precinct
III; or precinct A-ill). It must be emphasized at this point that
the nurlbe.r of ten addresses to'a precinct shall not be exceeded. This
has the advantage that the raember, who has to call on these addresses
for contributions and the like, may do so conveniently. He will also
have an opportunity to discuss'all matters concerning the Party with
the iue.;r.bers. This member called leader (captain) has an important
function. He-or she is the 'link between the members and the cell
com i:Lt-tee. .
It is the duty of the cell committee to assist these leaders in
every way possible. Through training, the political level of these
members must be developed as much as possible.
It must become a habit to discuss and debate all current political
and organizational actions at the weekly report meetings in order to
supply the leader with factual material, This will enable him to
obt .in from the rier...bers the support which the Party must have in the
struggle.
D. Precinct organization
Precincts rust be organized in such a manner that all precincts
are included in a bloc, and all blocs in a cell. This makes it
possib?e o'carry out all activities within a precinct through the
neriber i c [' this precinct such as distribution of i:ianifestoes, can, casing
for petitions, recruiting of new mercers, peddling of books, and the like.
Ten of these precincts form a bloc. The bloc committee consists
of three membera, namely:
t,. Doc-Leader
2. PY ?~a;arida-Leader
3. Sub-Treasurer
It is the duty of the bloc leader to discuss all organizational
questions and carry out all plans in cooperation with the organizational
secretary of the cell. The meat important of these plans is to approach is
the members with a view to drawing then into the work.
Members must be let to perform small but necessary functions in
the beginning of their activities, in order not to discourage then.
They may be used in many ways, for example as leaders, in handling the
distribution of manifestoes and the sale of Party papers, etc. from.
door to door and in the streets.
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P o a,3anda-Lead: He gathers as nany people as possible around
hire. ..also see:' the duties of bloc propaganda-leader).
Sub'-Treasurer. (See : ' functions of bloc, treasurer)
Special functionaries rtiay be appointed for any bloc activity.
Thus one comrade will be held responsible for the. sale of books ,another
fox' the sale of pamphlets, a third for the party paper. In every
large operation, the above mentioned bloc committee appoints a number
of its best workers to carry out thef functions.
IV. CO-'OSITIOTT, WORKING METHODS AND ELECTION O V THEE CELL COMMITTEE
In for::ling the cell committee, it is of utmost importance to take
into consideration the socia:L background of the individual members.
No coruiittee should be blected , for example, which consists only. of.
middle-class people, c-c of individuals without an ocpupation. The
corm!ttee must be able to provide guidance in thestruggle of the
working (,lass. T1?.e::'ad'ore it should consist of rier_ibers who , are
coin z: c :; :d in man- ,: gat; s with the social strata, either through their
occupaticn or of:zF. isG.
General requirements, which all committee members must meet, are
political reliability, activity, and political insight. The most
important thing is to concentrate on, the job which they perform for.
the Party at the moment.
It is' also desirable to take iato consideration the aptitudes of
the committee members and to assign the functions accordingly.
There should always be an odd number of members on the committee
.for voting pprposes.
The cell cor'.1ittee shall meet once a week to discuss the
activities of the section.
The Cell Bureau (executive committee) is made up of: - the political
secretary, the organizational secretary, and the propaganda=leader.
These members actually contact each other daily.
At the membership meeting, which is to be held semi-annually,
candidates are nominated for the cell committee. A noninatir.:.g;
?or .iittce, elected at the' me..ibership meeting for this purpose;
discusses these candidates one. by one in the presence of the iiei:iber.
ship. A brief statement is presented about each one, concerning his
activities, 'his merits for an 'qualificatioizs in.the Party. Each member
has the right to raise complaints about the nominees and to ask for
other names.
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After discussing the candidates, a secret written ballot is
cast. For this purpose, special ballots with the candidates' nines
are provided. Names of candidates whom one does not wish to elect
are crossed out, whereupon the ballot is folded and cast.
A special committee, elected by the membership for this purpose,
shall count the votes and inform the meeting. of the results.
The cell committee is elected not with regard to individual functions.
The functions are assigned within the coonittee at its first meeting
following; the election. This is much more feasible, since it is thus
possible to allow for the fullest use of each individual's abilities.
If n-:essary, the committee can also interchange functions
temj,orarily. Interim changes within the committee are submitted
to the members z6t the following membership meeting.
VI. DUTIES OF CELL COMMITTEE MENDERS (FUNCTIONARIES)
A. The Political Secretary:
The role and task which the Party has to fulfill is
entirely different from that of any other organization. This,
obviously, exp4Ains its organizational forms. The Party not only
has the task of protecting the daily interests of the working
masses, but also guiding the struggle toward a Socialist society,
as a transition to the Communist society.
It follows that the Party shall not only be able to carry out
the daily functions, however important these may be, but that it
shall a1-o awaken its rienbers to become fighters for our Communist
ideal. On the shoulders of our functionaries rests the heavy ancz
responsible task of developing each Party member into a Communist
fi;hter who is capable of giving guidance in the struggle for present
as well as future interests of the land and people.
With this task in view, the great significance of schooling for
political struggle, -- for an understanding of the cause and effect
of the struggle, -- becomes clear, as does the importance of
scientific Communist knowledge in the fight for a change in t
social conditions.
The most important position to be filled in the Party is the
post of political secretary. The nei:iber.3who is thus elected on
a cell, District or regional committee, has the honorable task of
directing the Party's political activities. This he does not
perform alone, of course, but in close cooperation with other
committee members and committees, with congresses, conferences and
Party meetings, and under the supervision of the Party. If he fulfills
his functions properly, he shall emerge as the motivating force of the
political activities of the Party echelon to which he is responsible.
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How shall this task be handled?
The, political secretary, in order to perform his duties properly,
shall have a clear concept of:
1. the ultimate goal of Party's struggle;
2. t ~ ~ e p a ;es one the road owards this goal;
3. the a] linces which ay : to '
be formed in this strut ;le and of
which the Party must seize control.
Pla~a7ly then, the- first requirement for the political secretary is
that. he train h.iuself continuously, keeping abreast of the developments
of events and testing his views of these events against the activities
of the Party unit for which he is responsible.
Beginning with the functions of his own committee, the political
secretary shall through his guidance support the other members in their
be placed on his judgment. e. must be
sure, functions. Much
thathh shall udgaent .., is not only carefully considered,
j
but i,ha;; it is supported by a full knowledge of all facts about
wh . knowledge opinion is given. Gbvl.ousl the olitical: .._.....:s.-_.ecr_.-
: ~~ t~ze y, p retary,can
keep abreast only if he continuously enlarges. his own knowledge-of
the political and social problems. A political secretary :s principal
tasks areal)"to keep himself informed about the literature published
regarding our aims; ~) to know about the issues connected with current
events,.which have to be commented upon; 3) to study outside criticisms
of Party principles and refute such criticisms on the basis of
science and practical work.
The above shows that a raerlber must be chosen for the post of
political secretary who has proved to possess the necessary
qualifications through his activities in the development of the
Party. He must have given proof of~clear political understanding; he
shall be eager in his Party work and possess the art of leadership.
Having been elected, he must demonstrate his qualifications in
the practical execution of his functions, not only by keeping abreast
theoretically and practically hir.~.self, but also by letting the other
committee members benefit of his knowledge. The tremendous speed of
the development of our world,' the country, and the Party requires of
the political secretary to find time for the careful study of all
issues, in order to impart his scientific knowledge to his committee
and the Party. He must prove his qualifications on the committee 'Ir
directing the activities and discussions concerning; these activities;
in the cell he must prove himself in his appearance at cell meetings
by imparting tb.:the Party comrades a clear understanding of the
problems confronting the Party and of the activities which the Party
mutt carry out to this end.
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In addition to all this coiaes the personality of the political
secretary. His leadership in the committee and the section shall
not only command the respect of the comrades but shall beyond this
encourage thez:i to strive for similar wisdom and energy. One of
these elevating tasks is to show the Party members that they have the
inherent capacity of becoming important individuals in the development
of the people towards Socialism. Here again, simplicity is no doubt
the best taskmaster.
The popularity of functionaries both inside and outside of the
Party should be based on the fact that they emerge as the important
figures in the Socialist struggle, both through their knowledge and
their activities. This will be possible only if the functionaries
succ-ed in establishing close contacts with the members and non-
rier:lbc?rs of the Party and if their qualifications enable them to present
themselves as their leaders. In this connection it is well to watch for
faults and weaknesses which are uncovered and to heed the criticisms
of outsiders regarding Party activities.
Only if the. members as functionaries take a critical and self-
critical attitude with regard to the mistakes in our work shall we
be able to comply with our tasks in the proper manner.
B. The Organizational Secretary:
As the political secretary is the most important political man of.
a section, the organizational secretary is the principle officer
responsible for organizational matters. Everything concerning the
Party goes through his hands to the various committee members.
The first requirement which he has to demand pf hir.iself and
others is conscientiousness.
1. In addition to organizing; responsibilities his is
mainly a con.:,ol function::. He is responsible that the work is
carried out 'and has to intervene if it does not proceed smoothly.
Tiaese organizing and control functions shall be carried out
in a practical manner, not as chief or commander, but above all
as a comrade and helper.
e
2. Inasmuch as the organizational secretary takes care
of the correspondence, he is informed about everything that goes
on in the Party. He presents the contents of the correspondence
to the cor.raittee reetin,~s as an agenda item. Since he is best
informed about any completed and pending assignments of the
various coz`aittee members, he' is usually able to make direet and
constructive suggestions.
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3. Kee ins- of Membership Records: This is done in close
cooperation with the cell treasurer, in order to assure that the
records. conforu at all times wit~ the actual number of members.
All changes raust be reported to the District as promptly as
possible, nentzoning the na:ie, address, and number of the rie:Aber
4. Organizing Membership and Workers' Meetings: This should
be done very carefully. The invitations should be well done and
mailed early enough. The workers charged with distributing them
should add an oral invitation in order to stimulate attendance
at the planned affair.
At regular intervals, raeet;inus shall be held for the co-
workers. In addition to ;political and organizational matters,
provisions should be made for relaxation etc., in order to
cultivate a good Party spirit and cor_iradeship. (These meetings
are not to be confused with public meetings) .
5. Keeping Minutes : Althou . the i_fi i ites may be recorded
by. one of the other. committee members, they remain in the custody
of the or ;annizational secretar3~.
The minutes are to be kept; as brief as possible, recording
only motions made and resolutions passed.
6. Organizational Matters: The organizational secretary
works in close cooperation. wit 1 the blocr leaders together they
make sure that there is a sufficient nur ib er of active workers
a::?1 that the political level of these workers is raised much
as -:ssible. This is accon i.ished primarily, throu ;h trai 'ln!;,
further by thoroughly discussing with these workers all
operations, in order to let them know what to do when calling on
the merfoers
Great care should be Given to the execution of the above
mentioned tasks in order to succedd in establishing and
controlling a solid organization with a large number of active.
me:-fibers, whereby the work rests no lon-er on the shoulders
of a few comrades. This will nalce time free for other purposes.
All.corres
Dondence r e- arclt.n financial matters is to be
handled by the cell treasurer, not
organizational secretary.
The office of treasurer in the Party is not merely an administrative
function, but it has also olitical significance. If Party funds (dues
etc.) do not cone in regularly or completely, due to an imperfect
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orzanizational system or aduinistration, this will have its effects
on the fighting spirit and readiness of the Party. Without money, the
Party is unable to direct the struGGle of the working class and to
c rry out operations.
One of the prerequisites for the smooth operation of the system
of dues, etc., is an unca:plicoted administration. For this purpose,
a syrteml-ias been worked out in detail, which will be discussed under
the headinG Finances and Adthinistration.
D. Cell Propaganda-Leader:
The propaganda-leader is responsible for the propaganda aspect in
certain campaiGns, for the sale of literature, and for the drive directed
towards the strengthening of the Party and press.
He shall not only be well trained politically, but have the
capacity of takin, tnd developing initiative. At all times, he
should be alert to adjust the Party propaganda, newspaper, and
litel?atu:^e to the particular conditions and mentality in his
neiiicorhood.
He must be the propelling force in this work, continuously, ?gi: inG
new perspectives and Guidance to the propaganda-leaders in the bloc.
For this .purpose he maintains regular contacts with these faders.
His functions maybe classified in the following manner:
1. OrGanizing propaganda car..pai;~ns and carrying out plans worked
out by the District and other Party echelons.
2. Systematically stimulating the recruitment of members and
orC,anizin6 membership drives.
3. Organizing public i::eetins and rallies of a political, cultural,
or entertajninG nature.
4. Organizing the operations, pro~.a;anda for, and sale of Party
literature.
5. To carry out this work, he enlists the assistance of responsible
members for:
a. The Party Newspaper. His task is to carry out in
particular the work for the paper: propaganda, persuasion of
lapsing subscribers, solicitation of new subscriptions.
The agent for the paper may handle this function himself.
Where this is not the case, members must cooperate closely with
the agent.
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Once. every two weeks, he calls all the workers for the Paper
to a meeting; for the exchanGe o:E' experience and discussion. of
new plans.
b. Mana.zines. Organizing solicitation of subscriptions,
weokly sales, keeping subscriber records.
c. Pamphlets. Organizing the sale and making the pamphlets
popular. Sale of tickets for meetings.
22S. Organizin; the sale and riakin the books, popular.
The sale of maGazines, books, and pamphlets may be aecoi:iplished by
the -ornole bloc on one evenipC. lifter the wok: ..has been completed, it
is advisable that the workers:assei:fol.e,to exchanGe their experience
and possibly to relax by dancing, etc.
{
E. The D.loc Propaganda-Leader.
In order to carry out his funct:iors, the cell propaganda-leader
has at his disposal the propaganda-leader in the cell. The bloc
propaganda-leaders are responsible for:
1. Carr in{ , out the propaganda cai:rpai ns in the precincts assigned
e
ir respective blocs.
to th
2....Or : anizin,:- eerations on behalf of Daily Paper, Magazines, Pamphlets,
D.~o0 rf ,
3. P.il stinE the assistance of functionaries for the Daily P'er.
r workers rho devote themselves
This Functionary ,organ~.zze p. gr .oup o:, in particular to the work for our newspaper. This includes systematic
persua; r?, ofsubscribers discontinu:in their subscriptions, a, X11
.as soli-'i:~o.tion..of news,..pubscriptions on a fixed evenint once a w