The Central Auditing Commission () (ZRK) was a body of the Socialist Unity Party of Germany (SED) mainly tasked with ensuring orderly party finances and work of the party organs.
Compared to the Central Party Control Commission, which enforced party discipline, the ZRK's power was limited.
History.
An Auditing Commission was first set up at the founding party conference in April 1946. Analogous to the CPSU Central Auditing Commission, it was converted to the "Central Auditing Commission" at the III. Party Congress of the SED in July 1950, which also elected Alfred Oelßner, former head cashier of the KPD and SED, as its first chairman.
In addition to controlling the SED's finances, in particular the collection and accounting of party members' membership fees, financial audits in the party apparatus, in party enterprises such as the Dietz publishing house and organs, the ZRK was tasked with ensuring orderly work of the party organs, especially if petitions by party members and citizens at large were processed appropriately. It also "oversaw" the work of other auditing commissions in mass organizations such as the FDGB's ZRK.
The ZRK "de jure" only reported to the party congress and stood aside the Central Committee. However, "de facto", the ZRK was not able to independently audit the central party apparatus, as the later did not have to divulge information. The ZRK's limited jurisdiction furthermore made it significantly less powerful than the SED's other disciplinary body, the Central Party Control Commission.
Structure.
Subordinate bodies.
The ZRK had subordinate bodies: the Bezirk (or, until the administrative reform in 1952, the state-level auditing commissions) and the district-level auditing commissions of the SED. The SED also had so-called functional district organisations in large universities, ministries such as the Ministry for State Security and other institutions, and these also had auditing commissions.
These bodies were bound by the directives of the ZRK and were obligated to report to it.
Composition.
The ZRK's members and candidate members, largely unpaid except for a few staff members, were elected by the party congress. The ZRK's membership grew over the course of its existence; whereas the ZRK had nineteen full members (excluding the chairman and deputy chairman) and four candidate members in 1970, the ZRK elected by the XI. Party Congress in April 1986 composed of forty full members and eight candidate members.
Notable members include Günter Sieber (1963–1967), Heinz Kuhrig (1971–1976), and Gisela Glende (1986–1989).
Leadership.
The ZRK was led by a chairman who led the commission's work, prepared its meetings and kept party leadership informed.
The chairman was assisted by a permanent deputy, notably longtime deputy chairman Karl-Heinz Lorber.