Wen: Study, implement Constitution
(China Daily)
Updated: 2004-04-01 00:59

Premier Wen Jiabao Wednesday urged governments at all levels to set up specific mechanisms and work out detailed policies to support the implementation of the Constitution, which was amended for the fourth time last month.

The 10th National People's Congress (NPC), the country's top legislative body, adopted the fourth amendment to the 1982 Constitution at its annual meeting earlier this month.

The amendment highlights protection of individuals' rights including those connected to private property.

The amendment stipulates that citizens' lawfully owned

property is inviolable, putting private assets on an equal footing with public property.

Under the provisions in the amendment, the nation, in some circumstances, may expropriate or requisition land when the public interest will be served, but it has to make compensation for the land expropriated or requisitioned in accordance with the law, the amendment states.

Wen said governments should take the Constitution as their overarching guiding principle to perform their functions in strict accordance with the law.

He said the governments should work out better economic regulations, giving priority to the regulations on social management and public service to exercise a law-based administration.

He also urged the governments to strengthen implementation of these regulations and enhance supervision.

In specific, Wen said the reform on land expropriation should be accelerated and the non-public economic sector should receive more guidance and impetus for further development.

He urged related departments to work out policies and regulations on the protection of individuals' legitimate property and improve the social security network.

The premier also called for the establishment and improvement of a contingency system to handle public emergencies so that the government is more capable of dealing with public crisis.

He said governments should insist on putting people first, respect and preserve human rights and engage themselves in solving problems that have direct bearing on the livelihood of the people.

Wen made these remarks at a group study meeting of the State Council.

Yang Jingyu, director of the NPC Law Committee, Wednesday gave a lecture on major content and tenets of the fourth amendment to the Constitution at the meeting.

Yang also raised some proposals on how to study and implement the Constitution and uphold the rule of law.

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