d 69,000 of
these local party units.

Functions of the local and occupational cell units include the
implementation of party directives and programs, the recruitment and
indoctrination of new members, and the dissemination of propaganda
directed at those outside the party. Members have the duty to
participate in social, economic, and cultural activities, particularly
in the direction of the economic enterprises, and to critically examine
production and community life in the light of party ideology and goals.
In all of its activities the local cell is required to uphold the
discipline of the party and to adhere to the policies established by the
ruling bodies of the PCR.

Between the local cell unit and the higher organs of the PCR stands a
hierarchy of party committees organized on the county, town, and
communal levels. Each of these units is directly subordinate to the next
higher level of the party organization. In Bucharest a city party
committee supervises the activities of the communal and enterprise
cells. Each party committee sets up its own bureau and elects a
secretariat. In most cases the secretariat consists of a first
secretary, a first vice chairman, and three or more vice chairmen or
secretaries.

The activity of the bureaus is conducted through several functional
departments, which generally consist of sections on personnel,
administration, agitation and propaganda, economic enterprises, youth,
and women's affairs. The county and city committees also have their own
control commissions and training programs. The first secretary of the
county committee also serves as chairman of the county people's council,
interlocking the party and government offices (see ch. 8).

The party leadership decided in late 1967 to require the active
participation of the party secretaries in the administrative organs of
the enterprises and other institutions in their respective areas. County
committees are aided in their administrative duties by economic
commissions that oversee the general economic development of the county
and fix both current and long-range goals. In addition, the economic
commissions are charged with the coordination of all economic activity,
the conducting of studies and making of proposals for setting production
goals, and the allocation of material and human resources in the county.

At each of these levels--county, city, town, and commune--the highest
authoritative organ is the party conference, wh