NPC legislation to put the rule of law as top priority

WATCH VIDEO

Source: CCTV.com | 03-12-2007 08:32

China's top legislator has praised the work of the NPC Standing Committee, China's top legislative body. In his annual work report Wu Banguo said China wants to strengthen the rule of law, and that the it's the duty of legislators to help the country achieve its goal.

Facing nearly 3,000 NPC deputies, China's top legislator praised the standing committee for its remarkable job and for the substantial progress made throughout the past year.

Wu Bangguo, chairman NPC Standing Committee, said, "The Standing Committee made further progress in its legislative work last year. It deliberated and approved 24 draft laws or decisions on legal issues, 14 of which were passed, and 5 of which were submitted to this session for deliberation and approval. This marks a solid step toward achieving the goals for the NPC's legislative work."

In this session, legislators are deliberating on two major laws that have been planned and discussed for years – the corporate income tax law and the more controversial law on property rights, which has generated tough debate.

Wu Bangguo said, "The law on Property Rights is a basic law for standardizing property relationships, and plays a supporting role in the socialist legal system with Chinese characteristics. Formulating this law gives great significance to adhering to the basic socialist economic system, developing the socialist market economy, safeguarding the vital interests of the masses and stimulating the creativity of the entire society."

The Law on Oversight is also highlighted this year, after 20 years of deliberation. The law is expected to give the NPC at all levels the legal support for supervising the work of the government, and matters of public concern.

Aruhan, NPC Deputy, said, "The most I care about is the supervision of implementation law. China has issued many laws in recent years. Making sure the laws have been implemented is crucial to the establishment of a socialist market economy."

Shen Qipeng, NPC Deputy, said, "We must supervise the legal justice, reduce the use of energy and pollution, provide administrative transparency and make sure the money the Central Government has allocated, will be used wisely on people. "

Deputies are pushing for laws that can be fully abided across the whole country, not only by the common people, but also by government departments, the courts and the procurators so as to prevent social conflicts as effectively as possible.

The NPC used to be called "powerless" or just "a rubber stamp." But in recent years, it has been playing a greater role in deliberating and making laws and supervising the government. Now the deputies are ready to be more actively involved and responsible for social and political affairs making the NPC a supreme organ of power in China.

Editor:Du Xiaodan