(FreedomBeacon.com)- The ruling Communist Party in China will be amending its constitution next month during the 20th Communist Party Congress, a move that some experts believe will consolidate President Xi Jinping’s power over the party.
Chinese state news agency Xinhua reported last week that the Politburo discussed a draft amendment to the party constitution during a meeting chaired by President Xi. However, the details of the amendment were not specified.
The party congress begins on October 16 when it is widely expected President Xi will secure an unprecedented third five-year term as party leader, solidifying his status as China’s most powerful leader since People’s Republic founder, Mao Zedong.
The Communist Party constitution was amended at its last party congress in 2017 to enshrine “Xi Jinping Thought on Socialism with Chinese Characteristics.”
Analysts believe one possible amendment in next month’s meeting could be to shorten the ideology to “Xi Jinping Thought,” to reflect “Mao Zedong Thought.”
Another possible amendment would be to enshrine the “Two Establishes,” a recent phrase meaning the party establishes President Xi as its core and his ideas as its guiding principles.
Both possible changes would be seen as an elevation of Xi’s power over the party.
Other analysts have suggested the amendment to the constitution could reinstate the position of party chairman which was abolished in 1982. However, that possibility is believed to be far less likely.
The Communist Party Congress is held every five years behind closed doors at the Great Hall of the People along Tiananmen Square in Beijing. It typically lasts about a week.
Xi paved the way for a possible third five-year term when, in 2018, he eliminated the two-term limit for the presidency.
