V. I.

Lenin

Second Congress of the R.S.D.L.P.

July 17 (30)-August 10 (23), 1903

15. Report on the Party Rules

July 29 (August 11)

Lenin(the reporter) gives an explanation of the draft Rules submitted by
him. The basic idea of the Rules, he says, is that of a division of
functions . Hence, the division into two central bodies, for
example, is not due to their geographical division (Russia and abroad),
but is a logical consequence of a division of functions. It is the
function of the Central Committee to exercise practical leadership, that
of the Central Organ to exercise ideological leadership. To co-ordinate
the activities of these two central bodies, to preclude disunity between
them, and, in part, to settle disputes, a Council is needed, which should
not at all be purely an institution of arbitration. The paragraphs in the
Rules which govern the relations between the Central Committee and the
local committees, and define the Central Committee’s competence cannot and
should not enumerate all the points within that competence. Such an
enumeration is inconvenient and impossible, for it is inconceivable that
all possible cases should be foreseen, and, more over, points unprovided
for might appear to be outside the competence of the Central
Committee. The Central Commit tee itself should be allowed to determine
the sphere of its competence, since any local matter may affect the
interests of the Party as a whole, and the Central Committee should be in
a position to intervene in local affairs, even going against local
interests, should such action be in the interests of the Party as a whole.

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