On the Control Commissions
16 March 1921
1. Control commissions are being created to strengthen the unity and authority of the party; their tasks include combatting the bureaucratism and careerism that have crept into the party, combatting misuse of party and soviet positions by party members, violations of comradely relations within the party, dissemination of unfounded and unsubstantiated rumours and insinuations that bring disgrace to the party or to individual party members, and the dissemination of other information of this type which violates the unity and authority of the party.
2. The control commissions must not merely explain carefully the statements that they release, but must also take the initiative in removing the causes that give rise to, or facilitate the appearance of, the impermissible phenomena alluded to in point i, above. At the same time, the control commissions are to supervise the process whereby, and see to it that, all complaints and statements about crimes and misdemeanors by party members receive appropriate handling and decision.
Note: Complaints and statements by both groups and individual persons are accepted not only from party members, but also from non-party members about party members.
The control commissions are organized at the centre, in oblasts, and in guberniias by means of elections at the party congress and at oblast and guberniia party conferences. At the centre, the commission is elected with a membership of seven full members and three candidate members.
In the oblast ... of from three to five members.
In the oblast ... of from two to three candidate members.
In the guberniia ... of three members and two candidate members.Obligatory length of party membership for members and candidate members of control commissions:
For the Central Control Commission - not less than ten years' party membership.
For the oblast - not less than five years' party membership.
For the guberniias - party membership since the February 1917. Revolution.Note: A new commission membership is elected following the report of the former commission.
4. Members of the control commissions cannot be members of party committees and cannot occupy administrative positions of responsibility.
Note: Existing oblast and guberniia control commissions retain their staff composition until the next oblast and gubemiia conferences.
5. In order to intensify their work and to enable them to investigate a matter thoroughly and obtain answers to questions, a certain portion of the members of the control commissions are to be freed from all other work: all members of the Central Control Commission, three members of the oblast control commissions, and two members of the guberniia control commissions.
6. Members of the control commissions cannot be transferred to other work prior to the conclusion of the period of their tenure.
7. The control commissions operate alongside the party committees and are accountable to the party conferences and the party congress, as appropriate.
8. Members of the control commissions have the right to attend all meetings of- and have a consultative vote in - the corresponding party and soviet committees, and all other meetings and conferences of whatever sort, of the corresponding party organizations.
9. Resolutions of the control commissions are carried out by the corresponding committees and cannot be countermanded by the latter. In cases of disagreement, a question is referred to ajoint meeting. If no agreement is reached with the committee, the question is referred for decision to the party congress or appropriate conference.
Note: In cases where a decision is urgently required, the matter is referred to the next highest control commission.
10. The control commissions use the apparatus of the corresponding party committee and are authorized to give assignments to all party comrades and party organizations.
11. The control commissions are to give periodic reports to the party organizations and to publish reports in the press.
Resolved: 16 March 1921
First Published: Spravochnik partiinogo rabotnika 2. (7-19)
Source: KPSS v rezoliutsiiakh 2, 206-66
Transcription/Markup: Brian Baggins
Copyleft: Soviet History Archive (marxists.org) 2002. Permission is granted to copy and/or distribute this document under the terms of the GNU Free Documentation License.