III. The leading bodies of KKE

Article 14

The congress is the Party’s supreme leading body A regular congress is convened by the Central Committee every four years.
An extraordinary congress may be convened.
By decision of the Central Committee,
Upon a proposal by a Regional Committee or by the City Committee from Athens, Piraeus or Thessaloniki, if approved by the other regional committees representing 50% of the members.
This proposal must be submitted to the Central Committee. The Central Committee is obliged to submit it to the judgement of the other regional committees and the City Committees of Athens, Piraeus and Thessaloniki within three months, at the latest, from its date of submittion. The Central Committee is obliged to hold a congress within at most two months. In both cases, an extraordinary congress cannot be convened on the same issues before one year has elapsed.

Article 15

The decision to hold a congress and the issues to be discussed at it are announced by the Central Committee at least three months before it is to take place.
The congress is in quorum when the number of delegates present constitutes the majority of the delegates elected.
The delegates to the congress are elected in a uniform ratio which the Central Committee lays down, by regional conferences and organisations under the direct guidance of the Central Committee. Members of the Central Committee and the Central Audit Committee who have not been elected delegates may take part in the congress with the right to speak.

Article 16

The Party Congress:
Discusses and judges the report of the Central Committee and the Central Audit committee.
Sets out the Party’s general line and tactics.
Votes on or amends the Party’s Programme and Statutes.
Elects the Central Committee and the Central Audit Committee.
For a person to be elected to these bodies, he or she must have at least seven years of Party life.
The number of members of the Central Committee and the Central Audit Committee is determined by the congress.

Article 17

The Central Committee is the Party’s leading body between congresses:
a) It guides the Party’s entire ideological, political and organisational activity.
b) It regularly examines the Political Bureau’s report of its activities.
c) It sets out the Party’s policy and relations with other parties or organisations on the basis of the directions laid down by the congress.
d) It appoints the persons to be responsible for the Party’s main mass media, both press and electronic media.
e) It decides to create auxiliary sections and committees of the Central Committee and appoints persons to head them.
f) It decides on the candidates for public elected offices of broader or national importance.
g) It decides to recall Party members occupying public elected national offices.
h) It determines the percentage of revenues which must be handed in by the Party organisations to its central Treasury. It manages the Party’s finances, enterprises and all its property.

Article 18

The Central Committee elects the General Secretary and Political Bureau. The Political Bureau is responsible for leading the Party between sessions of the Central Committee on the basis of the latter’s decisions. The number of its members is determined by the Central Committee. Between Central Committee sessions, the Political Bureau briefs its members about Party matters. The Political Bureau, in all its actions and operations, must reinforce the leading role and responsibility of the Central Committee.
The Central Committee elects a secretariat from among its members. The Secretariat is engaged in leading the organisations, in monitoring the implementation of decisions and in dealing with on-going Central Committee and Political Bureau matters.
The number of members of the Secretariat and its precise duties are determined by the Central Committee.

Article 19

The Central Committee meets in regular sessions every four months and extraordinarily by decision of the Political Bureau.
The members of the Central Audit Committee take part in Central Committee sessions with the right to speak and cast an advisory vote.
In special cases, the Central Committee may convene an extended session in which other party cadres, selected by the CC, may take part.

Article 20

The Central Committee elects the Party Control Committee (PCC) which: examines charges brought by Party organisations and members against members, bodies and organisations with respect to violations of Party discipline, of the Statutes, and of the Programme; it also examines objections against decisions to expel members from the Party or to impose other penalties. A report is drafted containing proposals to be sent to the Central Committee for final decisions.
It examines applications for the reinstatement of Party members who have for various reasons lost their Party membership, and determines the number of years of their Party life.
The Party Control Committee (PCC) elects a chairman from among its members.

Article 21

The Central Audit Committee monitors financial activity and the treasury, audits the management of the Party’s finances, the finances of its enterprises and informs the Central Committee thereof regularly.
The Central Audit Committee elects a chairman from among its members.

Article 22

During the period between congresses, the Central Committee of KKE may call a nationwide Party conference:
Obligatorily, if there has been a decision by a previous congress to examine a particular issue, or
If it judges that a serious matter has arisen in political life or that there is an extremely serious need to discuss problems of concern to the Party.
The following will take part in such a conference: The members of the Central Committee, the members of the Central Audit Committee, delegates from Party organisations elected by the regional committes and the City Committees of Athens, Piraeus and Thessaloniki.
The conference can made decisions within the framework of the Party’s Programme and Statutes and may fill in up to 1/10 of the members of the Central Committee.
The Central Committee will set the agenda for the conference and announce it at least one (1) month before the conference is to be held.
The Central Committee will decide on the number of delegates to be elected in a uniform ratio.

Article 23

The supreme body among Party organisations on the district, prefectural and regional level is the corresponding Party conference and for BOs it is the general assembly of its members.
Between Party conferences, it is the relevant district, prefectural and regional committee.

Article 24

The regular district conference is convened by the District Committee every year, with the exception of the district organisation conferences of Athens, Piraeus and Thessaloniki which are convened every two years. The regular conference of prefectures and regions is convened every two years by the relevant committees.
Extraordinary conferences are convened: a) By decision of the relevant leading bodies and on approval by the immediately higher body. b) By decision of the higher body. c) When requested by the leading bodies or the BO of the organisation in question representing 1/3 of its members.

Article 25

Delegates to the conferences of the relevant organisations are elected in a uniform ratio determined by the leading bodies in question in accordance with Central Committee regulations.
The conferences of party organisations: discuss and decide on the report to be submitted to the leading bodies and audit committees, discuss and decide on matters related to Party work in their field, and elect the leading body and audit committee. For members to be elected to the District Committee, they must have two years of Party life, three years for the Prefectural Committee and five years for the Regional Committee.

Article 26

The leading bodies for districts, prefectures and regions elect a secretary and a Bureau.
The Bureau leads all the work between Committee conferences. The election of Committee members, the secretary and the Bureau are ratified by the higher leading body.
Regional Committees meet in a regular session every three months; prefectural and district committees every two months. They meet extreaordinarily by decision of the Committee Bureaus or by decision of the higher leading body.
The Audit Committees supervise financial activity, the treasuries and the regular collection of dues; they also manage the finances of the relevant organisations down to and including Base Organisations.

Article 27

For a cadre to be selected and promoted to the leading bodies, he or she must have a heightened sense of Party responsibility. The collective assessment of the cadres’ performance and the essential procedures for their election must be ensured in compliance with the regulations.
Particular care must be shown in the composition of the leading bodies. It is necessary for all sectors of Party work to be represented on them, so that they may reflect and enhance its nature as a Party of the working class. There must be constant care to elect women to all leading bodies, and to ensure a harmonious blend of older and younger cadres.
The alternation of cadres on leading bodies, as well as in elected public offices, in local goernment and in the mass movement must be a permanent element in the policy regarding cadres.

Article 28

Positions which may become vacant on the Central Committee between congresses are filled by the election of new members at a national conference, if the CC deems necessary. For other leading bodies between conferences, new members may be taken on if judged necessary, on the responsibility of the relevant leading body. Taking on a new member requires the consenting opinion of 2/3 of the members of the body in question and approval by the higher leading body. The number of new members must not exceed 1/10 of the existing members of the body in question.

Article 29

The leading bodies from the CC to the Bureau of the BO, in the middle and at the end of their term, judge the work of the body and of its members.
These assessments are made available for the information of all BOs for which these bodies are responsible.

Article 30

Procedural issues related to holding election meetings and conferences are determined in a regulation decided upon by the CC.

Article 31

In order to permit fuller study and reflection on various issues and to facilitate the practical application of the Party’s decisions, special auxiliary sections, Party groups and committees may be created alongside the leading bodies.
When decisions are being made about the cadres who are to participate in the auxiliary sections, Party groups and committees, the opinion of the BO and organisations to which the cadres belong is necessarily requested.

Article 32

The leading bodies call regular meetings of the cadres in every organisation. These meetings are of an advisory nature.

Article 33

Before taking decisions of general significance, and if circumstances permit, the leading bodies must take into account the opinion of the lower Party bodies and members.

Article 34

KKE has the following mass communications media:
Rizospastis, organ of the KKE’s Central Committee, is the Party’s daily newspaper. The Central Committee is responsible for publishing it and for its general directions, and appoints its management.
Rizospastis promotes and defends the ideology and policy of KKE. It publicises and defends the interests of the working class, the working people, and the mass movement more generally. It provides full information on developments in Greece and throughout the world.
Communistiki Epitheorisi (COMEP) is the Party’s theoretical and political journal, organ of the Central Committee. It is directed by an editorial committee appointed by the Central Committee.
KKE may create or participate in other central or regional mass media. The Central Committee sets out the terms, framework and aims of KKE in each particular case.