Marshall Mission Files. Lot 54–D270
Statement by the Chinese Communist Delegation, April 21, 1946
Regarding the problem of submitting nominees to the National Government and National Assembly, the Chinese Communist Party has never been of the view that it can be solved isolatedly, paying no regard to the free violation of the Cease Fire Agreement35 and Army Reorganization Plan,36 nor in particular deemed it appropriate to join the government and convene the National Assembly under such circumstances that there is not the slightest guarantee for democracy, while the civil war is being intensified. Concerning matters of the Political Consultative Council, up to now not only the four well-known promises made by the government have not been redeemed, but on the contrary the secret police agents have been at large with double ferocity as a result of government’s connivance, and thereby depriving the people of any guarantee to the freedom of rights. The government has not clarified the chaotic state of infringing the PCC resolutions caused by the Second Plenary Session of the Central Committee of the Kuomintang, instead it persists in maintaining the validity of Provisional Constitution of Political Tutelage and one-party dictatorship so that the reorganization of government will lose all its significance. Concerning the Draft Constitution Amendment Principles of the PCC, the government by taking advantage of the three points agreed upon by the Steering Committee, has been attempting to alter the representative system, undermine other principles, and deny the responsible system of Executive Yuan to the Legislative Yuan by returning to the system of president dictatorship as stipulated by the May Fifth Draft Constitution of 1936. The Communist proposal with reference to the distribution of seats in the State Council and ministers of state of the Executive Yuan—that 10 State Councillors and 4 Ministers of Executive Yuan be apportioned to that party—has not yet won consent of the government; apart from that, the agreed veto power held by State Councillors is also being jeopardized. As to the representatives to the National Assembly, the government is proposing to increase their number. How could this problem be brought into discussion when the Draft Constitution Amendment Principles are impaired and the contention between democracy and dictatorship is still going on? Under the grave situation as such there is no possibility for the Chinese Communist Party to submit nominees to the State Council and National Assembly. Moreover, in view of the serious state of civil war in the Northeast and a potential danger of having the civil war spread to China proper, how [Page 173] could the government be reorganized and the National Assembly convened at ease, when hostilities have not been ceased?
In view of the foregoing, the Chinese Communist Delegation deems it necessary to reiterate the following: only when the above-mentioned problems are completely and definitely solved, can the Chinese Communist Party take into consideration the selection of candidates participating [in?] the National Government and Executive Yuan, and submit the name-list of its representatives to the National Assembly.