This Year's Elections

#PUBLICATION NOTE

This edition of This Year's Elections has been prepared and revised for digital publication by the Institute of Marxism-Leninism-Maoism under the Central Committee of the Communist Party in Switzerland on the basis of following editions:

• Quotation in Proletarian Revolutionaries, Form a Great Alliance to Seize Power From Those in Authority Who Are Taking the Capitalist Road!, in Beijing Review, Vol. 10, No. 5 (27th of January, 1967).
• This Year's Elections, in Mao's Road to Power, First English Edition, Vol. 4, M.E. Sharpe, Armonk, 1997.

#INTRODUCTION NOTE

This is a speech delivered by Comrade Mao Zedong at the Conference on Electoral Work of 18 counties in southern Jiangxi in Ruijin, Jiangxi, China on the 6th of September, 1933. It was first published in the Hongse Zhonghua, No. 108 (6th of September, 1933).

#Workers and oppressed people of the world, unite!

#THIS YEAR'S ELECTIONS

#SPEECH DELIVERED AT THE CONFERENCE ON ELECTORAL WORK OF 18 COUNTIES IN SOUTHERN JIANGXI

#Mao Zedong

#6th of September, 1933

#★

Comrades:

We are already holding the Conference on Electoral Work of 18 counties in northern Jiangxi, and now we are convening the Conference on Electoral Work of 18 counties in southern Jiangxi.¹

Comrades, we hold elections every year. Are this year's elections any different from last year's elections? Yes, very much so. This year's elections serve to strengthen the Council Power — this extremely important class weapon. We should use this weapon to enhance still further the welfare of the masses, to smash the enemy's new «encirclement and suppression» campaign, to oppose the imperialist policy of partitioning China, and to expand the council movement in the whole of China. This, comrades, is the significance of this year's elections. The purpose of my speech is to explain this significance. I will give these explanations under four headings.

#1. CONTEXT OF THIS YEAR'S ELECTIONS

This year's elections coincide with the year in which we have completely smashed the fourth «encirclement and suppression» campaign and in which we are continuing to win victories in smashing the fifth «encirclement and suppression» campaign.²

In the past year, up until our victories at Dongpi and Huangpi, we have completely smashed the enemy's fourth «encirclement and suppression» campaign. We have expanded the Red Army, consolidated and developed the Central Red Area, and led and assisted the whole nation in the great revolutionary struggles against imperialism, the Nationalist Party of China, the landlords, and the capitalists. This year's revolutionary victories have surpassed those of last year. What about the counter-revolutionary side? It is becoming weaker and weaker. But the counter-revolutionaries are still fighting desperately for survival. The imperialists especially, faced with world revolution and world war, are desperately stepping up their invasion of China. Japan has already created a «Manzhouguo» under the cover of its artillery and is attempting to set up a «Mengguguo» as well. England wants to set up a «Tibet» in western China. France is invading Yunnan and Guizhou, and the United States wants to divide up the provinces along the Yangzi River. All these imperialists are ordering their lackey, the Nationalist Party, to turn China into a colony. The Nationalist reactionaries are just now launching a large-scale fifth «encirclement and suppression» campaign. Our duty at present is to redouble our efforts to defeat the fifth «encirclement and suppression» campaign and to oppose the imperialists' effort to partition China. We are confronted with large-scale revolution and war. Led by the Communist Party, the Council Power is the organizer and leader of the revolution and the war. This year's council elections take place at a key moment in the smashing of the fifth «encirclement and suppression» campaign. We have to elect powerful councils to organize and lead the war. Such is the crucial significance of this year's elections. This is also the year in which the Second National Congress of Councils will be convened. This year's Congress of Councils is going to elect a new Central Government, which will serve as the organizer and leader of the revolution and the war on a countrywide scale. In order that the Second National Congress of Councils may be able to shoulder its great, historic responsibilities, this year's elections must be regarded as no ordinary matter.

#2. FUNCTIONS OF THE COUNCIL POWER

In order to understand the importance of the elections, we must explain the functions of the Council Power.

The councils of the workers' and peasants' democratic dictatorship have two functions. Both functions are directly opposed to the role of the old government of the ruling class.

The first function is that the council of the workers' and peasants' democratic dictatorship serves as a weapon against the counter-revolutionaries. It uses war to eliminate external counter-revolutionaries. We have been fighting against the enemy's «encirclement and suppression» campaigns, have launched a victorious offensive, and are carrying out the task of waging revolutionary war against the counter-revolutionary forces throughout the country. At the same time, it uses the courts to suppress internal counter-revolutionaries. This is how we have dealt with the Anti-Majoritarian Corps, the Reorganization Clique, the Social-Democratic Party, and all the landlords and capitalists in the Red areas. As soon as they engage in counter-revolutionary activities, we immediately suppress them. The revolutionary classes — the workers, peasants, and other working people — use this weapon of the Council Power to deal with all the counter-revolutionaries, both internal and external. This is the first function of the Council Power. We must defeat these counter-revolutionaries, for only thus can our class become the ruling class and our government become the ruling government. All of you comrades have seen that we are now the rulers, because we have defeated the innumerable attacks of the enemy and suppressed all counter-revolutionary activities.

Now, let me speak of the second function. The council of the workers' and peasants' democratic dictatorship is the instrument by which the masses govern their own lives. The lives of the masses of our workers and peasants used to be completely controlled by the landlords and the bourgeoisie. Because they had political power, they had freedom, but they never allowed us to have any freedom. The peasants had no land, and the workers had no labour laws to protect them. How is it today? The peasants have land, and the workers are protected by the Labour Law. Our own political power has given us freedom. Under our own regime, we are carrying out all sorts of necessary construction. We have total control over our own lives. We are truly free and equal; we are not subject to interference from any landlords or capitalists. On the contrary, we exercise authority and dictatorship over the landlords and capitalists, and do not allow a single one of them to participate in our government. We establish all sorts of laws to rule them and do not give them the slightest bit of political freedom. This is the second function of the Council Power.

All revolutionary struggles in the world are aimed at conquering political power and consolidating it. The desperate struggles waged by counter-revolutionaries against revolutionary forces are likewise solely for the sake of maintaining their political power. The masses of the workers and peasants in the Red areas have already conquered political power. We should always be on guard to defend and develop this political power, so as to enable it to perform fully its vital functions of suppressing internal and external counter-revolutionaries and of enhancing the well-being of the workers and peasants. To enable the Council Power to exercise these functions, we need to use the method of elections to draw into the councils a large number of the most conscious, progressive, and active elements, and to weed out the incompetents among the old personnel. This is an extremely important matter. Many people have not yet realized clearly enough the weighty significance of political power and of the elections. Without being fully aware of these functions, truly active participation in the elections is impossible. Without understanding these functions, council personnel will not be able to lead the elections well.

Comrades, we will be holding the elections very soon. In order to make propaganda immediately among the masses about the functions of the Council Power and of the elections, all council personnel must themselves have clearly understood this. Only this will make the present elections the best we have held and will mobilize the masses as one to fight for powerful councils of the workers' and peasants' democratic dictatorship.

#3. FAVOURABLE CONDITIONS FOR THIS YEAR'S ELECTIONS

Since we are faced at present with an extremely critical moment in the revolution and in the war, and the functions of the Council Power and of the elections are so important, can we carry out the task of this year's elections? Our answer is that we can. We have many favourable conditions in this year's elections.

First, despite the tremendous scale of the enemy's fifth «encirclement and suppression» campaign, we have already won initial victories. In the past two months, we have won three great battles in a row. In the first battle, we occupied Liancheng and defeated the 19th Route Army. In the second battle, we occupied Wujiang and defeated the 80th Division. In the third battle, we laid siege to Yanping, defeated the enemy's reinforcements, and seized more than 6'000 guns in all.³ We are thus holding these elections while the Red Army is winning great victories.

Second, we are holding this year's elections in a wider territory, because the Red areas have been expanded significantly in the course of our victory against the fourth «encirclement and suppression» campaign. This year, we are holding elections in the ten Red provinces of Jiangxi, Fujian, Guangdong-Jiangxi, Fujian-Jiangxi, Fujian-Zhejiang-Jiangxi, Hunan-Jiangxi, Hunan-Hubei-Jiangxi, Hubei-Henan-Anhui, West Hunan-Hubei, and Sichuan. The scale of the elections is thus greater.

Third, in all these numerous Red provinces, the class struggle in the cities and countryside has deepened more than was the case last year. We have achieved numerous successes in the movement to check up land distribution,⁴ in implementing the Labour Law, in the progress of culture and education, and in launching economic construction. The movement to check up land distribution in particular has ferreted out many hidden landlords and rich peasants and deprived them of their right to vote. A large number of bad elements hidden in the council bodies have also been purged, thus laying a foundation for carrying out this year's elections more successfully.

Fourth, we have had the experience of past elections, especially last year's elections, which have provided many valuable lessons for this year's elections. We must definitely continue to draw on the good results of past elections and enhance them. Shortcomings and mistakes that have occurred in past elections we should, on the other hand, completely avoid and reject. We should not commit similar mistakes again this year. The Central Government's guidelines regarding the elections has reached a correct conclusion on what constitutes the achievements and what constitutes the errors of past elections. Comrades should study the guidelines carefully. Every council cadre should study them carefully. We should also explain them clearly to all the masses of the voters. Only by correctly evaluating past lessons can we make sure that this election campaign proceeds smoothly.

#4. HOW TO GUIDE THIS YEAR'S ELECTIONS

Comrades, we have come to understand that this year's elections coincide with the efforts of the imperialists and of the Nationalist Party to carve up China and to carry out the fifth «encirclement and suppression» campaign, thus greatly increasing the political task of this year's elections. We have also come to realize the great revolutionary functions of the Council Power. Furthermore, this year's elections are to be carried out under many favourable conditions. Therefore, we must guide these elections very well and strive with all our might to achieve complete victory in these elections. The electoral regulations and the guidelines regarding the elections promulgated by the Central Government have enumerated clearly all the principles and methods for holding the elections, so there is no need for me to repeat all of this here. Today, I will simply call our comrades' attention to a few important issues, urging the comrades to pay attention. These points are as follows:

#4.1. ELECTORAL PROPAGANDA AND AGITATION

The most extensive propaganda should be carried out in the three weeks prior to this year's elections. We must explain very clearly the relation between our efforts to smash the fifth «encirclement and suppression» campaign and to oppose the partition of China by the imperialists, on the one hand, and this year's elections, on the other hand. We must elucidate the revolutionary functions of the Council Power so that everyone understands them. We should also explain that this year's elections are taking place on a basis of victory. We must make the masses regard the elections as very important, and, at the same time, see to it that they have sufficient self-confidence to participate in the elections and will elect to the councils many progressive elements, so that all those who are elected will take responsibility for important national affairs with the utmost courage. Such propaganda and agitation is a prerequisite for a successful election. Without such propaganda and agitation, the masses will still understand neither the current political situation, nor the functions of the Council Power, nor the basis for a victorious election. In that case, the masses will not be enthusiastic about participating in the elections, nor will those elected be full of courage. In the first elections last year, propaganda was relatively successful and consequently the results were relatively good. If the propaganda for the second elections is deficient, the results will necessarily be unsatisfactory. This year's propaganda must improve on that of last year's first elections, for only thus can we mobilize the majority of the masses to participate in the electoral assemblies.

#4.2. ELECTIONS AT THE PRIMARY LEVEL

Assemblies of municipal and township deputies are the primary unit of the councils. Therefore, elections in the cities and countryside are the primary elections to the councils. The municipal and township councils constitute the level closest to the masses. All the laws and decrees of the higher-level councils regarding the expansion of the Red Army, the movement to check up land distribution, implementing the Labour Law, and economic and cultural construction can be effectively carried out only through the municipal and township councils. Hence, the elections to the municipal and township councils are of the most fundamental importance. Moreover, if the National Congress of Councils is to be successful, the provincial congresses of councils must elect very good deputies; if the provincial congresses of councils are to be successful, the county congresses of councils must elect very good deputies; if the county congresses of councils are to be successful, the district and municipal congresses of councils must elect very good deputies. And what is required to have a good district congress of councils? The assemblies of deputies to the township council must elect very good deputies. If we look at things this way, do not the elections to the municipal and township councils affect the elections to the district councils, the county councils, the provincial councils, and even the Supreme Council? Therefore, the elections to the municipal and township councils are the most primary and the most important elections. Comrades, on one side of our meeting place, there is a monument to Red Army martyrs under construction. This monument has a stone foundation 1,5 zhang [3 1/3 metres] thick. We want to build a solid monument, so we must begin by laying a solid foundation. We want to build a solid council, therefore we must lay a solid foundation, and that foundation consists of the municipal and township councils.

#4.3. VOTER REGISTRATION

If we want to establish strong municipal and township councils, not only must we use the most extensive propaganda to make the majority of the masses participate in the electoral assemblies; we should also make sure that all the voters who attend these assemblies are genuine workers, peasants, or other people eligible to vote, that not a single disenfranchised person sneaks in, and that not one person who should be deprived of the right to vote steals in by passing themself off as a worker or peasant. This work is called voter registration. To draw a strict line between the enfranchised and the disenfranchised is the fundamental starting point of the Council Power; it is also the most important article in the Council Constitution and the Electoral Law. Look at the base of that monument; is it not made of stone? Consequently, the monument is solid. If you mixed in some mud or compost in the base, this monument would not be so solid. If we want to build a strong council, we must begin by seeing to it that not a single landlord, rich peasant, or capitalist steals the right to vote.

#4.4. ELECTORAL UNITS

Last year's electoral units were too big, and this year we have made them smaller. Article 11 of the Electoral Law prescribes that workers hold their electoral assemblies separately, that peasants vote in the small village units, and that the poor masses in the cities vote in neighbourhood units. This change will have a great influence in achieving a completely successful electoral result. Smaller units will not only ensure that a majority of the voters, or even all of them, attend the electoral assemblies, but will make it easier for voters to choose among the candidates and will lead to more and better nominations. It will also be easier to deprive certain candidates of their mandate later on. For these reasons, our comrades must be careful not to enlarge this year's electoral units again.

#4.5. WORK REPORTS

Regarding the work reports of the municipal and township councils to the voters, the Central Commissariat for Internal Affairs has already drawn up an outline. In accordance with this outline, the district councils are to guide the township councils in calling mass meetings in all the villages and making reports there. In last year's elections, this reporting system was not carried out in many localities. This year, it should definitely be put into practice, because making reports to the masses actually provides an opportunity for testing the government's mass work, and this can raise the enthusiasm of the voters for the elections to new heights. On all those days when governments at the district level and higher have the occasion to attend assemblies of deputies at the lower levels, they should always make a work report.

#4.6. LISTS OF CANDIDATES

Careful preparation of lists of candidates is one of the key links in a successful election. It is stated in the guideline of the Central Government that comments on the lists of candidates by all mass organizations should be collected before the elections. The comments should, moreover, be made public, so that the voters can give due consideration to all the candidates. As regards the lists of candidates, attention should be paid, first of all, to class status. Not only must we, in accordance with the Electoral Law, see to it that the appropriate number of workers and peasants are elected; we must also, as laid down in the guidelines regarding the elections, make sure that at least 25% of those elected are working women. Our next priority is political performance. All those who fall into the categories of corrupt individuals, bad elements, slackers, or those who compromise with the landlords, rich peasants, and capitalists must not be elected. Each and every person elected should be one who works actively and has the right kind of thinking. Then, we need to pay a certain amount of attention to capacity to do the work. Those whose abilities are excessively low should not be taken into the government. We should also make sure that all those council workers now in office, including deputies, committee members, chairpersons, and so on, who have committed severe errors, such as corruption, bad attitudes, slacking, and shielding landlords, rich peasants, or capitalists, and who have not redressed these errors, are not reelected. On the other hand, those comrades who have worked hard and have correct thinking can, without the slightest doubt, be reelected. Some people think that every election should bring in new people and reject all the old people. This idea is completely wrong.

#4.7. ELECTORAL ASSEMBLIES

Although the elections take only one day, we need to spend several weeks preparing for it, because the numerous important tasks mentioned above require several weeks' preparation if they are to be done properly. We absolutely cannot wait until the last moment, putting things off from day to day, until we find ourselves, two or three days before the elections, desperately trying to do everything at once. The 18 counties in northern Jiangxi have now set the municipal and township elections for the period from the 1st of September to 5th of October. Every district should carry out the actual elections during the last ten days of this period, and use the weeks before the 25th of September for activities such as intensive electoral propaganda, voter registration, work reports, and compiling lists of candidates. Only this will ensure a satisfactory outcome on election day. The 18 counties in southern Jiangxi can postpone their elections for one month. The municipal and township election date can be set for late October, so that September and October can be used to make full preparations. Then, when election day comes, we must do our best to mobilize voters to attend the assembly. This year, we must mobilize the overwhelming majority of voters to attend the electoral assembly and make sure that the elections are successfully held in one assembly. Try to avoid holding a second assembly because of failure to get enough voters to meet the requirements of the Electoral Law. Next, when the lists of candidates are put forward for discussion and decision, we should mobilize the masses to air their opinions. As happened last year at the electoral assembly in Xingguo, there should be animated criticism, and if the masses do not approve, another candidate's name should be put forward. Forcing the masses to endorse the candidates on the list is absolutely forbidden. If bad elements make trouble by preparing lists of candidates and coercing the masses to pass them, we will most certainly punish them severely once the facts are discovered. Finally, after the elections, we should also discuss the proposals put forward by the masses, collect the masses' comments, and send them to the councils as guidelines for the administrative work of the new government.

#4.8. TASKS OF THE ELECTORAL COMMITTEES

We should designate special committees to be in charge of all the above-mentioned work. This would be the electoral committees of the municipal and district councils. According to Article 46 of the Electoral Law, electoral committee members are representatives of the government and all the mass organizations. They must also be approved by the county council. The electoral committee is in charge of all work related to the elections. Last year, most of the electoral committees did not carry out their duties, and, once again, it was only government personnel that provided guidance for the elections. As a result, leadership in the electoral campaign in many localities was not exercised very carefully, and there were instances where bad elements in the government manipulated the elections. In order to rid ourselves of these defects, we must definitely organize electoral committees this year. They should be organized jointly by the government and the mass organizations.

#5. CONCLUSION

Comrades, I have talked for a long time. I have covered all the important points concerning the significance of the elections and the work involved in the elections. There are items I have not covered, such as the need for the county councils to provide planned guidance to the district congresses of councils, the need for the provincial councils to provide planned guidance to the county congresses of councils, the need for the Central Government to provide planned guidance to the provincial congresses of councils, and a few other matters relating to the elections. The Electoral Law and the guidelines regarding the elections have, however, given detailed explanations of all these items, and I will say no more about them here. I hope that you comrades will inform the many comrades in the county and district councils about the major points I have covered when you go back. They should be laid before the conferences of the presidiums for detailed discussion.

Comrades, this year's elections are no ordinary elections. They are elections of great historical significance, and they are also a very fierce class struggle. We have to devote our minds entirely to these elections. Apart from the many tasks directly related to the elections discussed above, we should seize the opportunity offered by these elections to unfold the class struggle in the forms of the movement to check up land distribution and the movement to check up class status, as well as the exposure movement within the councils.⁵ Only though these movements can we discover elements who have stolen the right to vote, purge bad elements who have sneaked into the councils, and thus ensure even greater success in this year's elections. This is even more indispensable in the 18 counties in southern Jiangxi, because we have two more months to check up land distribution. Moreover, places where the administrative districts have not yet been defined should do so quickly. If we do all these things, we are firmly convinced that this year's elections will be a complete victory.

At present, the proletarians and the oppressed nations of the whole world are hoping to see the triumph of the Chinese council movement. All the working masses of China have their eyes fixed on the banner of the Council Power. They know that only the Council Power can save China. In the last few days, a Congress Against Imperialist War has been taking place in Shanghai, attended by representatives from countries all over the world. They, too, are warmly wishing for the victory of the Chinese councils. Comrades, we should respond to all of these sincere hopes. With what shall we respond? Let us respond to them by the success of the elections in the whole of the Red areas and by our Second National Congress of Councils.

#WIN COMPLETE VICTORY IN THE ELECTIONS!

#SMASH THE ENEMY'S FIFTH «ENCIRCLEMENT AND SUPPRESSION» CAMPAIGN!

#OPPOSE THE PARTITION OF CHINA BY THE IMPERIALISTS!

#LONG LIVE COUNCIL CHINA!