中共十六大把“三个代表”重要思想确立为中共长期坚持的指导思想之后,民主党派履行参政党职能即进入了以“三个代表”重要思想为指导的新的历史时期。中国共产党要提高自己的执政水平,必然也提出民主党派提高参政水平的客观要求。随着世界经济一体化趋势的不断加强,国内政治、经济形势发生深刻变化以及民主党派自身状况的演变,在新世纪、新阶段民主党派履行参政党职能正面临着一系列的新挑战。这集中表现在以下四个方面:首先,随着历史的推移,民主党 Since the 16th National Congress of the Communist Party of China has established the important thinking of the ’Three Represents’ as the guiding principle for long-term adherence of the CPC, the democratic party’s performance of the function of participating in the political party has entered a new historical period under the guidance of the important thinking of the ’Three Represents.’ . To raise its own ruling level, the CPC must also put forward the objective requirement of improving the level of participating in politics by the democratic parties. With the continuous strengthening of the world economic integration, the profound changes in the political and economic conditions in the country, and the evolution of the democratic parties themselves, the Democratic parties are facing a series of new challenges in fulfilling the functions of participating in politics in the new century and in the new phase. This concentrated on the following four aspects: First, as history goes by, Democrats