Article IV. Principle and Structure of Party Organization

Section 1. The structure of the Party shall be based on the principle of democratic centralism; meaning to say, centralism based on democracy and democracy under centralized leadership The basic conditions shall be as follows:

a. Leading organs of the Party at all levels shall be elected and shall be responsible to the Party organization that elected them.

b. After free and thorough discussion, decisions taken by the Party shall be implemented.

(1) The individual is subordinate to the organization

(2) The minority is subordinate to the majority.

(3) The lower level is subordinate to the higher level

(4) The entire membership is subordinate to the Central Committee and to the National Congress.

c. Leading organs of the Party shall always pay close attention to the reports and views of lower Party organizations and of the masses of Party members and they shall constant ly study concrete experiences and render prompt assistance in solving problems.

d. Lower Party organizations shall give regular and special reports about their work to the organizations and of the masses of Party members and they shall request instructions promptly concerning problems which require the decision of a higher Party organization. All Party organizations shall follow the principle of collective leadership and all important questions shall be decided collectively.

Section 2. A Party organization shall be established on the basis of territorial division or sphere of work.

a. The Party organ which arranges Party work in a given territory shall be the highest organ in that territory.

b. The Party organ which arranges Party work in a given territory or in a mass organization shall be the highest organ in that sphere of work or mass organization.

Section 3. The structure of the Party organizations and their leading organs shall be as follows:

a. For the whole of the Philippines, there shall be the entire national Party membership, the National Congress and the Central Committee.

b. For the regions, there shall be the regional Party organization, the regional conference and the regional committee.

c. For the province, there shall be the provincial Party organization, the provincial conference and the provincial committee.

d. For the regular district and large city district, there shall be the district Party organization, the district conference and the district committee.

e. For the municipality or its equivalent, there shall be th Party section committee, section conference and section committee.

f. For factories, mines, plantations or haciendas, barrios, streets, offices, schools and residential areas, there shall be the Party branch, the branch meetings and the branch executive committee.

Section 4. The supreme leadership of the entire Party shall be the National Congress; that of a region, province, district and section shall be the corresponding conference; and that of a Party branch shall be the branch meeting.

Between branch meetings, Party conferences and national congresses, the Party committee shall be the leading organ of the Party organization at each level.

Section 5. All leading organs shall be elected:

a. The Central Committee shall be elected by the National Congress.

b. Lower leading organs at every level (regional, provincial, district and section) shall be elected by the Party conference within the designated territorial jurisdiction c. The branch executive committee shall be elected by the branch meetings.

The Central Committee shall set the standard requirements and procedures for elections. Where circumstances may not permit the holding of elections the leading Party organs shall be appointed by higher Party committees.

Section 6. Members of the Central Committee must have been in the Party as an active member for at least five consecutive years.

Section 7. Leading organs may be dissolved or their members dismissed by the Party organizations which elected them or by the Party organs that appointed them even before the comple tion of their term of office. Due cause shall be declared.

Between Party conferences at any level, the higher Party committee may, if it deems necessary, remove functionaries of lower Party organs.

Section 8. The establishment of a new Party organization or the dissolution of an existing one shall be decided upon by the organization or party organ immediately above it.

Section 9. Party committees from the section to the regional Party organization shall set up departments, bureaus, commis sions and other necessary organs in accordance with requirements.

Section 10. Party organizations at any level may hold various types of meetings, seminars or conferences of cadres and active members to review or plan their work or to discuss important decisions of higher Party organs.

Section 11. Prior to the policy decision taken by a leading party organ, lower Party organizations may freely discuss the issue or issues and put forward proposals to the leading Party organ. After a decision has been taken, they must abide by it.

However, if they hold the opinion that the decision does not accord with conditions in a certain territory or sphere of work, reconsideration of the decision may be requested. If the higher Party organ stands by its decision after making the proper reconsideration, lower Party organizations shall be obliged to carry it out.

Section 12. The Central Committee, the Political Bureau or Executive Committee shall be the organ that makes decisions and issues statements on major new initiatives and on questions of policy that are national and international issues and are expected to submit their opinions to central leading organs but they shall be entitled to take their own decisions and issue their own statements only on local matters within their territorial scope.

Section 13. All Party publications must popularize the general line, policies and decisions of the Party.

All Party organizations must disseminate Central Committee publications. Local Party publications are required to get the leading Party organ immediately above.