Editor's note: The People's Daily issued a commentary on Tuesday calling on organizers to be aware of their responsibilities in the election of delegates to the 18th Party Congress and urging Party members to exercise their democratic rights and prohibit illegal activity in the election process. Excerpts follow:

The Sixth Plenary Session of the 17th Communist Party of China (CPC) Central Committee decided to hold the 18th CPC Nation Congress in Beijing in the second half of next year. The CPC Central Committee recently issued a circular to prepare for the election of representatives to the 18th Party Congress, which is a great political mission for Party organizations at all levels.

The 18th Party Congress is an important meeting that comes at a critical juncture in the Party's endeavor to construct a well-off society and transform the mode of economic development. A total of 2,270 people will be elected to the congress, representing over 80 million Party members and 3.89 million grassroots Party organizations nationwide. During the congress, the representatives will hear and review the reports of the Party Central Committee and the Party Central Commission for Discipline Inspection, express the opinions and requests of Party members, discuss important issues and elect the members of the two central organs.

Selecting qualified representatives is a fundamental prerequisite for the 18th Party Congress. It is also a good opportunity for Party members to exercise democracy within the Party, which is vital to the development and security of the Party, as well as the country. So Party organizations must do the organizing responsibly, and strengthen leadership and advocate democracy in accordance with the Party's Charter, so as to elect good, qualified delegates for the congress.

The delegates must first of all be political pioneers, which means they must have moral strength and be loyal to the Party. They must be excellent Party members, firm in ideological belief, correct in political stance, good in morality and style, excellent in career performance and strong in carrying out the duties of Party representatives. The delegates should also be Party members from all professions throughout the country. Compared with the 17th Party Congress, more delegates from the grassroots level, including migrant workers, will be elected for the 18th Party Congress. The minimum proportion of grassroots delegates attending the event in 2012 will be 32 percent, two percentage points higher than at the previous congress in 2007. The maximum proportion of leaders and officials will be 68 percent. More workers, farmers and professionals should be elected as delegates.

The elections should also strictly obey democratic principles. All organizing units should take this to heart, and widely promote this principle so that Party members will enthusiastically participate in the job. At the same time, the organizing units should also widely encourage them to recommend candidates, and listen to their voices to make sure that the elected delegates represent the will of Party members.

That will be, without doubt, a difficult but also glorious task for the organizing units. They should pay ample attention to the task, and implement the principles of the Party through good organization and by selecting experienced, trustworthy persons to undertake the arrangements. They should also teach Party members to exercise their democratic rights and hold a proper view of the election results. Only by so doing can they supervise the whole process of the election and prevent improper behavior such as bribery.

(China Daily 11/24/2011 page8)