The Shaan-Gan-Ning Border Region Canyihui: A Successful Exploration of New Democratic Political Power Construction

After the full-scale outbreak of the War of Resistance against Japan, under the guidance of the Anti-Japanese National United Front, the Chinese Communist Party gradually initiated a new style of democratic political exploration in the various anti-Japanese base areas. The Shaan-Gan-Ning Border Region Canyihui[1]1 The Shaan-Gan-Ning Border Region Canyihui (Representative Assembly): the representative assembly established in the Shaan-Gan-Ning Border Region, the central base area of the Chinese Communist Party during the War of Resistance against Japan. It was the earliest and most complete form of democratic institution among all the anti-Japanese base areas. was the earliest established, most complete in form, and most typical democratic institution. From January 17 to February 4, 1939, November 6 to 21, 1941, December 4 to 19, 1944, and April 2 to 27, 1946, the Shaan-Gan-Ning Border Region convened four plenary sessions: the First Canyihui, the first session of the Second Canyihui, the second session of the Second Canyihui, and the Third Canyihui. These provided an important channel for all social strata, political parties and groups, and ethnic minorities in the border region to legally participate in politics, express their interests and demands, and articulate various political opinions. They also served as a model for political power construction in other base areas to study and emulate.

抗日战争全面爆发后，中国共产党在抗日民族统一战线指引下，在各抗日根据地逐渐开启了一种全新样式的民主政治探索，陕甘宁边区参议会便是创立最早、形态最完备、最具典型性的民主制度。1939年1月17日至2月4日、1941年11月6日至21日、1944年12月4日至19日、1946年4月2日至27日，陕甘宁边区先后召开了第一届、第二届第一次、第二届第二次、第三届参议会共4次大会，为边区各社会阶层、党派团体以及少数民族进行合法政治参与，反映各自利益诉求和表达各种政见提供了重要渠道，还成为其他根据地政权建设学习和效法的样板。

Explored the Basic Framework of the New Democratic Political System

探索了新民主主义政权体制的基本框架

The Shaan-Gan-Ning Border Region Canyihui explored and formed a democratic political model that combined the expression of popular will with the exercise of power. It not only provided institutional guarantees for democratic political construction in the border region but also opened up a path of democratic politics rooted in China's national conditions. In terms of organizational structure, political power construction, and agenda setting, it built the basic framework of a new democratic political system.

陕甘宁边区参议会探索形成了兼具民意表达与权力运行的民主政治模式，不仅为边区民主政治建设提供了制度保障，更开辟了一条立足中国国情的民主政治道路，在组织架构、政权建设、议程设置上搭建了新民主主义政权体制的基本框架。

In terms of organizational structure, a complete system of people's representative organs was formed centered on the three-level Canyihui system at the border region, county, and township levels. The "Organizational Regulations for the Canyihui at All Levels of the Shaan-Gan-Ning Border Region" adopted in 1939 clearly established a complete system of Canyihui at the border region, county, and township levels as "the people's representative organs at each level of the border region". Their powers included legislation, election of government members, and examination of financial budgets and final accounts. The revised "Organizational Regulations for the Canyihui at All Levels of the Shaan-Gan-Ning Border Region" adopted in November 1941 stipulated that "the Canyihui at all levels of the border region are the people's representative organs at the corresponding levels". In April 1946, the "Constitutional Principles of the Shaan-Gan-Ning Border Region" passed by the Third Canyihui of the border region for the first time legally stipulated that the people's representative conferences (Canyihui) at the border region, county, and township levels are "organs for the people to manage political power", forming a democratic cycle in which township-level direct elections produced grassroots political power, counties integrated regional interests, and the border region coordinated legislation and decision-making, constituting a democratic closed loop for new democratic political power construction.

在组织架构方面形成了以边区、县、乡三级参议会制度为核心的完整民意机关体系。1939年通过的《陕甘宁边区各级参议会组织条例》明确要建立完善边区、县、乡三级参议会为“代表边区之各级民意机关”，其职权包括立法、选举政府成员、审议财政预决算等。1941年11月修正通过的《陕甘宁边区各级参议会组织条例》规定“边区各级参议会，为边区各级之人民代表机关”。1946年4月，边区第三届参议会通过的《陕甘宁边区宪法原则》，首次在法理上规定边区、县、乡人民代表会议（参议会）为“人民管理政权机关”，形成乡级直选产生基层政权、县级整合区域利益、边区级统筹立法决策，构成新民主主义政权建设的民主闭环。

Clarified the "Three-Three System"[2]2 Three-Three System (三三制): a policy for the composition of political power in the base areas during the Anti-Japanese War, whereby Communist Party members, non-Party leftist progressives, and centrists each occupied one-third of the seats in representative bodies and governments. principle for political power construction. In March 1940, in order to better realize democratic politics and unite for the War of Resistance, the Party Central Committee and Mao Zedong, in light of the times and circumstances, proposed the establishment of a "Three-Three System" political power (Communist Party members, non-Party leftist progressives, and centrists each accounting for one-third). After the implementation of this policy, the partisan composition of the Second Canyihui underwent major changes. At the first session of the Second Canyihui in November 1941, among the 219 attending representatives, there were 123 Communist Party members, 24 Kuomintang members, 1 member from the National Salvation Association, 10 representatives of the Eastern peoples (Japanese, Korean, Indian, Dutch East Indies[3]3 Dutch East Indies (荷印): the former name of Indonesia, then a Dutch colony. Representatives of "Eastern peoples" residing in the border region included Japanese, Korean, Indian, and Dutch East Indies individuals.) residing in the border region, and representatives of the Mongolian, Hui, and Tibetan nationalities, and 61 other non-Party individuals. The "Three-Three System" had broad representativeness, greatly facilitating the reflection of the demands of all strata in the border region and enhancing the popular cohesion of political power.

明确政权建设“三三制”原则。1940年3月，为了更好地实现民主政治和团结抗战，党中央和毛泽东因时因势提出建立“三三制”政权（共产党员、非党的左派进步分子、中间派各占三分之一）。在实行这一政策后，第二届参议会的党派成分发生很大变化。1941年11月，第二届参议会第一次会议到会议员219人，共产党员123人，国民党员24人，救国会派1人，居住边区的东方民族（日、韩、印度、荷印）及蒙、回、藏民族代表10人，其他非党人士61人。“三三制”具有广泛代表性，极大地利于反映边区各阶层人民的诉求，提高政权的民意凝聚力。

In terms of agenda setting, the Canyihui operated on the principle of democratic centralism, covering such stages as the review of government work reports, the formulation of laws and regulations, the discussion of motions, and elections. For instance, the Second Canyihui in 1941 received more than 380 motions, the highest of any session, including military motions, political-legal motions, financial motions, cultural-educational motions, economic construction motions, and special motions. The motions were numerous, of high quality, and wide-ranging, reflecting the real needs of the masses in the border region. The border region Canyihui and the Border Region Government handled the motions seriously and responsibly. Leaders such as Mao Zedong personally attended the Canyihui and delivered important speeches, advocating a style of "saying all one knows and saying it without reserve"[4]4 "Say all you know and say it without reserve" (知无不言，言无不尽): a Chinese idiom encouraging the open and free expression of all opinions..

议程设置上，参议会以民主集中制为原则，涵盖政府工作报告审议、法规制定、提案讨论、选举等环节。例如1941年第二届参议会收到提案380余件，为历届之最，包括军事提案、政法提案、财政提案、文教提案、经济建设提案、特种提案等。提案数量多、质量高、涉及面广，反映了边区人民群众的切实需求。边区参议会和边区政府对提案办理工作也认真负责，毛泽东等领导人还亲临参议会发表重要讲话，倡导“知无不言，言无不尽”的风气。

The Full Demonstration of the Effectiveness of Border Region Governance

边区治理成效的充分彰显

The Shaan-Gan-Ning Border Region Canyihui was an important form of democratic political power organization led by the Chinese Communist Party during the war. Its historical role was not only reflected in promoting the construction of the border region and the victory of the War of Resistance but also in providing a practical path and institutional prototype for the development of China's new democratic revolution and socialist democratic politics.

陕甘宁边区参议会是中国共产党在战时领导的重要民主政权组织形式，其历史作用不仅体现在推动边区建设与抗战胜利中，还在于为中国新民主主义革命和社会主义民主政治的发展提供了实践路径和制度雏形。

First, it united and consolidated the Anti-Japanese National United Front, enhancing the border region masses' identification with the Chinese Communist Party. By recruiting open-minded gentry such as Li Dingming[5]5 Li Dingming (李鼎铭): a non-Communist progressive and open-minded gentry figure who served as Vice Chair of the Shaan-Gan-Ning Border Region government, known for proposing the "better troops and simpler administration" policy., An Wenqin, He Liancheng, and Huo Zile, as well as ethnic minority figures such as Imam Ma Shengfu (Hui), Xian Weijun (Hui), and Nasudilegai (Mongol), the border region Canyihui gave the border region political power broad representativeness. The joining of these open-minded gentry and ethnic minorities not only increased the appeal of the border region political power but also effectively integrated the anti-Japanese forces of all social strata, forming a powerful joint force for national resistance. As the border region masses said: "Only the Communist Party gives us democracy", "The border region is truly good; everything is decided by the people." The practice of the border region Canyihui showed that extensively uniting the forces of all social strata was an important magic weapon for achieving victory in the War of Resistance.

首先，团结凝聚抗日民族统一战线，增强边区群众对中国共产党的认同。边区参议会通过吸纳开明士绅李鼎铭、安文钦、贺连城、霍子乐等，还有少数民族人士马生福阿訇（回族）、鲜维俊（回族）、那素滴勒盖（蒙古族）等，使得边区政权有了广泛的代表性，这些开明士绅及少数民族的加入不仅提高了边区政权的号召力，还有效整合社会各阶层的抗日力量，形成了全民抗战的强大合力。正如边区群众所言：“只有共产党给咱民主”“边区到底好，啥事都由百姓作主”。边区参议会的实践表明，广泛团结社会各阶层力量是取得抗战胜利的重要法宝。

Second, it promoted the democratization and scientificization of decision-making, successfully advancing the construction of democratic politics in the border region. Democratic figures put forward various motions to actively offer suggestions and proposals for border region construction, greatly enhancing the democracy and scientific nature of the anti-Japanese national political power. For example, the motion on "better troops and simpler administration"[6]6 "Better troops and simpler administration" (精兵简政): a policy proposed by Li Dingming and adopted by the Shaan-Gan-Ning Border Region government in 1941 to streamline administrative organs and improve efficiency, later promoted throughout all base areas. by Li Dingming and others was praised by Mao Zedong as a specific remedy to cure the ills of departmentalism, bureaucracy, and formalism. After being implemented three times in the border region, this motion effectively overcame the problems of overstaffed institutions, low efficiency, and rampant bureaucracy, achieving the goals of streamlining institutions, unifying command, improving efficiency, and saving expenditures. In the process of social governance, the Canyihui mobilized the border region masses to negotiate and solve practical problems, achieving both deliberation and decision-making, and conducting inspection and supervision over work and cadres, reflecting the value orientation of practicing the mass line and relying on the masses to manage public affairs.

其次，推动决策民主化、科学化，成功推进边区民主政治建设。民主人士提出各项议案积极为边区建设建言献策，抗日民族政权的民主性和科学性大大提高。如李鼎铭等人的“精兵简政”提案被毛泽东评价为改造机关主义、官僚主义、形式主义的对症药。该提案后经边区三次贯彻落实，有效克服了边区机构臃肿、效率低下、官僚主义盛行的问题，实现了精简机构、统一指挥、提高效能和节约开支的目标。参议会在社会治理过程中，发动边区群众协商解决实际问题，做到既议又决，并对工作和干部进行检查监督，体现了践行群众路线、依靠群众管理公共事务的价值取向。

Third, from wartime democracy to national democracy, it laid the foundation for the system of people's congresses and the system of multiparty cooperation and political consultation under the leadership of the Chinese Communist Party. On the one hand, as a democratic experimental field, the Canyihui's characteristics of representative democracy, legislative and supervisory functions, the principle of democratic centralism, multiparty cooperation, and the mass line were directly absorbed and institutionalized by the system of people's congresses. The "Constitutional Principles of the Shaan-Gan-Ning Border Region" passed by the Canyihui in April 1946, for the first time established the system of people's representative conferences in legislative form. On the other hand, non-Party democratic persons, through the Canyihui, participated in the decision-making and management of border region affairs, forming a form of political power characterized by "Communist Party dominance" and "multiparty participation", which provided a reference for the establishment of the system of multiparty cooperation and political consultation under the leadership of the Chinese Communist Party after the founding of New China.

再次，从战时民主到全国性民主，为人民代表大会制度和中国共产党领导的多党合作和政治协商制度奠定了基石。一方面，参议会作为民主试验田，其代议制民主、立法与监督职能、民主集中制原则、多党合作、群众路线等特质，直接被人民代表大会制度所吸收并加以制度化。1946年4月参议会通过的《陕甘宁边区宪法原则》，首次以立法的形式确立了人民代表会议制度。另一方面，党外民主人士凭借参议会，参与到边区事务的决策和管理中来，形成由“共产党主导”和“多党派参与”的政权形式，为新中国成立后中国共产党领导的多党合作和政治协商制度建立提供了借鉴。

Lessons Accumulated by the Shaan-Gan-Ning Border Region Canyihui

陕甘宁边区参议会积累的经验

The Canyihui strictly implemented the "Three-Three System" in the composition of political power, ensuring the correct direction of major decisions. At the same time, it established "democratic centralism" in the rules of procedure, both guaranteeing representatives the right to "say all they know" in discussing political affairs and achieving the unity of political will through the principle of "the minority is subordinate to the majority", thereby accumulating valuable experience for democratic political construction.

参议会在政权构成上严格执行“三三制”，确保了重大决策的正确方向。同时在议事规则方面确立“民主集中制”，既保障议员“知无不言”的议政权利，又通过“少数服从多数”原则实现政治意志的统一，为民主政治建设积累了宝贵的经验。

First, unswervingly upholding the leadership of the Chinese Communist Party provided a solid political guarantee for democratic political construction. At the border region Canyihui, Chinese Communists fully promoted democracy, but they never abandoned or weakened the Party's leading position in democratic political construction. This provides the fundamental guideline for Chinese-style democratic politics—the leadership of a proletarian party is always the most essential feature and the most fundamental guarantee of people's democracy. Second, unswervingly upholding that the people are the masters of the country provided a solid popular foundation for democratic political construction. The border region Canyihui respected the principal position of the people, respected the initiative of the masses, fully absorbed different opinions and suggestions, and engaged in political consultation with people from different social strata on an equal and friendly basis, effectively guaranteeing the people's right to be masters of their own affairs. Third, unswervingly upholding criticism and self-criticism provided a guarantee of excellent conduct for democratic political construction. Criticism and self-criticism are a fine tradition of our Party, fully embodied in the Canyihui, and became an important concept for the development and improvement of socialist consultative democracy. Fourth, unswervingly upholding seeking truth from facts and not indulging in empty talk provided historical experience for the concept of whole-process people's democracy.

其一，始终坚持中国共产党的领导，为民主政治建设提供坚实的政治保障。边区参议会上，中国共产党人充分发扬民主，但始终没有放弃和动摇党对民主政治建设的领导地位。这提供了中国式民主政治的根本遵循——无产阶级政党的领导，始终是人民民主最本质的特征和最根本的保证。其二，始终坚持人民当家作主，为民主政治建设提供坚实的民意基础。边区参议会尊重人民主体地位，尊重群众首创精神，充分吸纳不同意见和建议，平等友好地与不同社会阶层人士进行政治协商，有力地保障了人民当家作主的权利。其三，始终坚持批评和自我批评，为民主政治建设提供优良作风保障。批评和自我批评是我党的优良传统，在参议会上得到了充分的体现，成为社会主义协商民主发展完善的重要理念。其四，始终坚持实事求是、不尚空谈，为全过程人民民主理念提供历史经验。

Online editor: Tongxin

网络编辑：同心