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Which elders will reappear for the Chinese Communist Party’s national congress? And are they more than window-dressing?
- Elected members of party congress presidium preside over key functions of the event
- But party elders are more like ‘window-dressing’, with real power lying in Politburo Standing Committee, analyst says
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Why you can trust SCMP
When the Communist Party’s 20th national congress convenes, a presidium will be formed to oversee congress functions. It will supervise meetings, elections and the submissions of resolutions for votes by around 2,300 delegates, among other matters.
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Given the opacity of the Communist Party’s politics, the composition of the presidium – especially its standing committee – offers some valuable clues about seniority and the power-sharing arrangement of the leadership.
At the last party congress in 2017, the presidium was made up of 243 delegates, including a 42-member standing committee.
In the past, the presidium members have been elected by delegates at a preparatory meeting held the day before the congress.
However, under the party’s constitution, the existing Politburo will have authority over day-to-day party affairs during the congress.
“The central leading bodies and leaders elected by each Central Committee shall, when the next national congress is in session, continue to preside over the party’s day-to-day work until the new central leading bodies and leaders are elected by the next Central Committee,” the constitution said.
At the 19th party congress five years ago, more than half of the presidium standing committee were Politburo members at that time, with retired party elders making up the rest of the group.
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