The issue of reflecting the interests of various sectors of society in the CCP is recognized by everyone [in the CCP] as a key issues. Clearly, people now feel that they do not influence the CCP at the local levels. The higher levels of the Party feel that changes are necessary, but there is a lot of disagreement at higher levels over what to do on this. Some advocate expanding elections upward to the Xiang and Zhen [that is, township] level for both the CCP and the government. Some say we should promote this first outside the CCP and should push elections up to as high as the county level, then have progress in the CCP follow these developments in the government. Others say that the CCP itself must lead in the process of democratization that this should start with the village committee and then move up. But there is still no agreement on how to pursue this. . . . [Some feel that] at each level progress should be made simultaneously both inside and outside the CCP at all levels, including the Party center. We should pursue this step by step. For example we can have the county CCP secretary really elected by the county CCP congress, but we need to get there in steps. And early step would be to announce the candidates who are being appointed for a period of public comment before the appointments actually take effect. Another step is to have more candidates than offices. And so forth. We have a concern that if you allow democracy outside of the CCP before you allow it inside of the Party, then you run an increased risk of having the CCP suffer the fate of the CPSU [the communist Party of the Soviet Union].