Most governments and political parties are not capable of or willing to exercise the same information controls that the CCP does. That doesn’t make them trustworthy, but it does make it easier to 1. Check their bullshit 2. Discuss their bullshit freely and 3. Call them out on their bullshit without being disappeared, only to turn up later and sign false confessions/apologies/whatever the Party tells you to.

Having separate and distinct parties and competitive elections also puts parties in the position of doing this to each other using the levers of power available to them.