Page "Central Committee of the Communist Party of the Soviet Union" Paragraph 51

Delegates at the Party Congresses elected the members of the Central Committee.

Nevertheless, there are not competitions for the seats of the Central Committee.

The Soviet leadership decided beforehand who would be elected, or rather appointed, to the Central Committee.

In the Brezhnev era, for instance, delegates at Party Congresses lost the power to vote in secret against candidates endorsed by the leadership.

For instance, at the congresses in 1962 and 1971 the delegates elected the Central Committee unanimously.

According to Robert Vincent Daniels the Central Committee was rather an assembly of representatives than an assembly of individuals.

The appointment of members often had " an automatic character "; members were appointed to represent various institutions.

While Jerry F. Hough agrees with Daniels analysis, he states that other factors must be included ; for example an official with a bad relationship with the General Secretary would not be appointed to the Central Committee.