TONG Zhiwei on "Rule of the State in Accordance with the Constitution"--Presentation Summary in English and Chinese (人大制度在依宪治国进程中的地位（提纲） 童之伟 )

(Zhiwei Tong, PIX (c) Larry Catá Backer)

Zhiwei Tong (童之伟) remains one of the most innovative scholars of constitutional law in China. Professor Tong has been developing his thought in part in a essay site that was started in 2010. See, Larry Catá Backer, Introducing a New Essay Site on Chinese Law by Zhiwei Tong, Law at the End of the Day, Oct. 16, 2010. Professor Tong is on the faculty of law at East China University of Political Science and Law. The Series continues.

Professor Tong recently presented his developing ideas about the nature of the constitutional ordering of the state apparatus in China in a presentation at the 6th Annual Meeting of the Shanghai Law Society. Set out below is a summary of his presentation in English and Chinese. My thanks to my SJD student GAO Shan for his translation. The ideas are quite innovative and worth careful study for those interested in comparative constitutional law and those who are students of Chinese law and politics.

人大制度在依宪治国进程中的地位（提纲）

童之伟

一、人大是依宪治国的根本主体

1.依宪治国的整体：人民、人民代表大会、中国共产党

2.准确理解民主和代议民主

【宪法】

第二条 中华人民共和国的一切权力属于人民。

　　人民行使国家权力的机关是全国人民代表大会和地方各级人民代表大会。

　　人民依照法律规定，通过各种途径和形式，管理国家事务，管理经济和文化事业，管理社会事务。

第三条 中华人民共和国的国家机构实行民主集中制的原则。

　　全国人民代表大会和地方各级人民代表大会都由民主选举产生，对人民负责，受人民监督。

     国家行政机关、审判机关、检察机关都由人民代表大会产生，对它负责，受它监督。

     “坚持人民主体地位” （《中共中央关于全面深化改革若干重大问题的决定》）在理论和实践上都只能表现为坚持全国人大和地方各级人大的主体地位。



二、坚持人大主体地位需解决好的主要学理问题

1.代议民主和所谓协商民主的关系

2.“党的领导、人民当家作主、依法治国”三者的关系
     党的领导、人民当家作主、依法治国三者的联系与区别；差异与矛盾是什么关系；党的领导、人民当家作主、依法治国三者的统一是否与生俱来；三者的统一是有条件的还是无条件的；如果是无条件的，那如何解释不统一的现象；如果是有条件的，条件有哪些；人大制度在“三个统一”中处于何种地位；在实现“三个统一”过程中，人大应发挥什么作用和如何发挥作用。

3.现行宪法与“关权力的笼子”的关系（现行宪法与社会主义宪政的关系）

首先是理解问题，知难行易

——权力受限制的公权力体系，权力(职权、权限)清单

——宪法与权力（职权、权限）划分的关系；有宪法必有分权；国家机关坚持依宪法行使权力，不越权、不失职，必然形成制约关系；认识宪法已经接受的权力制约内容的理论意义（全国人民代表大会常务委员会的组成人员不得担任国家行政机关、审判机关和检察机关的职务；县级以上的地方各级人民代表大会常务委员会的组成人员不得担任国家行政机关、审判机关和检察机关的职务；法院检察院公安的关系）。



三、依宪治国要求人大制度与时俱进

《中共中央关于全面深化改革若干重大问题的决定》: “推动人民代表大会制度与时俱进。坚持人民主体地位，推进人民代表大会制度理论和实践创新，发挥人民代表大会制度的根本政治制度作用。”

理论和实践中的主要研究课题：

(一)理论方面：
   1.如何恰当理解和解说人大制度（参照对总统制、议会制和半总统制的理解和解说）；
  2.如何理解政治生活原则（计划政治）与经济生活原则（市场经济）相互协调的问题。

（二）实践方面,人大制度的改革问题（核心问题是具备代议功能但有体现中共领导）
    1.选举制度改革；
    2.组成人员规模和机构改革；
    3.充分行使宪定职权，如基本权利保障立法、宪法监督）。

 
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The Role of People’s Congress System in the move toward the realization of

Rule of the State in accordance with the Constitution

(outline of the speech on the 6th annual meeting of Shanghai Law Society)

By Tong Zhiwei
Translate by Shan Gao

I. People’s Congress is the principle part of constitutional principle of Rule of the State in accordance with Constitution.

1. The Framework of Rule the State in accordance with Constitution (Rule of Constitution, hereinafter): People, People’s Congress, and Communist Party of China.

2. Correct understanding of democracy and representative democracy

i. PRC Constitution Art. II:
All power in the People’s Republic of China belongs to the people.

The National People’s Congress and the local people’s congresses at various levels are the organs through which the people exercise state power.

The people administer State affairs and manage economic and cultural undertakings and social affairs through various channels and in various ways in accordance with the provisions of law.

Art. III:
The State organs of the People’s Republic of China apply the principle of democratic centralism.
The National People’s Congress and the local people’s congresses at various levels are constituted through democratic elections. They are responsible to the people and subject to their supervision.

All administrative, judicial and procuratorial organs of the State are created by the people’s congresses to which they are responsible and by which they are supervised.

ii. Upholding principle role of people (reference to Important Decision on certain important issues of Full and Deep Reform)

Theoretically and Practically, it (upholding principle role of people) can only be expressed as upholding the principle role of NPC and local people’s congresses at various levels.

II. Major theoretical issues need to be resolved in order to uphold the principle role of people’s congress

1. The relationship between representative democracy and deliberative democracy.

2. The triangle of Party’s leadership, People as Master, and Rule the state in accordance with law

Relationship and difference between Party’s Leadership, People as Master, and Rule the state in accordance with Law (hereinafter rule of law);

What’s the relation between conflict and difference?

The natural unification of Party’s Leadership, People as Master, and Rule of Law, true or not?

The unification of triangle, condition or not?

--If the unification is unconditional, how to explain the non-unification?
--If the unification is conditional, what are the conditions?

What’s the role of people’s congress within triangle unification (three unification)?

What function is need and how to implement it in order to fulfil the unification of three?

3. Relation between current Constitution and principle of “rein the power within the cage” (the relation between current constitution and socialist constitutionalism)

First is the understanding—Easy to Do, Hard to Know

- Public power system with restrictions, the list of power (function, authority) the relation between constitution and division of power (function, authority; There is a Constitution, There are must be divisions of power (or division of authority, separation of power, division of functionality, shan’s note) when state apparatus apply the power according to the constitution, ie. not override authority, not malpractice, restrictions of power would be formed in this process.

- Understanding the theoretical implication of the accepted the constitutional expression on power restriction:

Members of NPC Standing Committee and Standing Committee of local Congress at various level cannot serve on State administrative institution, Courts and procuratorate;

- Relation between court, procuratorate, and public security.

III. Rule of Constitution requires the progress of People’s Congress System with the pace of time

--“Central Committee of CPC’s Decisions on Certain important issues concerning Full and Deep Reform:”

--Progress the People’s Congress System with the Pace of Time. Upholding the principle role of people, advance the theory and application of people’s congress system, and implement the core political function of people’s congress.

Major Research & Study on Theory and Application

1. Theory:

a. How to properly understand and interpret People’s Congress System (reference with president system, parliament system and semi-parliament, semi-president system)?

b. How to understand the coordination and cooperation between political life principle (planned politics) and economic life principle (market economy)?

2. Application
The reform of People’s Congress (the core issue is to install representative function within the vanguard leadership of party)

a. Election system reform;

b. The constitute member and institution reform;

c. Fully implement constitutional duty: such as protecting basic rights (of people), legislation, and constitutional supervision.