A changing Chinese legislature in the eyes of veteran deputies
(Xinhua)
Updated: 2006-03-06 14:24

With the motions submitted to China's top legislature increasingly touching hot and tricky issues, veteran legislators say they are seeing a dramatic transformation of the legislature's annual sessions.

"Our suggestions used to focus on specific issues such as the urgent need of building a road in a particular county or the industrial development of a city," said 62-year-old Zhu Lihou, who is in Beijing to attend the Fourth Session of the Tenth National People's Congress (NPC). Zhu has been an NPC deputy for almost twenty years.

"I used to be engaged in the interests of my constituencies, but now I care more about the overall development of the country," said Zhu who comes from Yangquan City in North China's Shanxi Province.

According to China's Constitution, NPC deputies have the right to submit motions in accordance with legal procedures and offer comments and suggestions about major national political and social issues. Hundreds of motions are submitted by the 2,000-plus NPC deputies at an annual session.

Jiang Jian, another deputy who has been in the post for 19 years, said motions are not merely restricted by a deputy's expertise or profession.

"When I was first elected as an NPC deputy 19 years ago, I proposed enacting a law on blood donation," said Jiang, a medical practitioner.

"My motions now cover a wide range of issues including the development of rural areas, culture, education, medicare and public security," Jiang added.

"The job brings me into contacts with many people each day. I can learn about a lot of problems while talking with them. Many of my motions are based on investigating into these problems," Jiang said.

One may have a specialty, but not an NPC deputy, Jiang said. An NPC deputy should always be concerned with issues that are in the public spotlight.

"Our major task was to study and carry out the decisions and policies adopted by the annual sessions of the top legislature," said Liu Yingming, who has served four five-year terms as an NPC deputy from Southwest China's Sichuan University.

NPC deputies nowadays are more aware that it is their right and responsibility to inform the central authorities of the public's concerns and opinions, according to Liu.

Public concerns over corruption, education reform, medical care, work safety and statistical accuracy have been raised in motions in recent years, Liu said.

"Hot issues appear every year, many have been resolved. It indicates that the country's social and economic conditions have undergone tremendous changes and the Chinese awareness of being the masters of state affairs has been gradually enhanced," Liu added.

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