Key meeting on Constitution set

Draft of amendment will be reviewed at CPC Central Committee plenary session

The Communist Party of China Central Committee will hold a key session next week to review the draft of an amendment to some parts of the country's Constitution, according to a meeting presided over by General Secretary Xi Jinping on Friday.

At the meeting of the Political Bureau of the CPC Central Committee, members of the Political Bureau decided that the Second Plenary Session of the 19th CPC Central Committee will be held from Thursday to Friday next week.

The members of the Political Bureau were briefed about the feedback on the CPC Central Committee's suggestion to amend some parts of the Constitution.

The senior leaders decided to revise the draft amendment based on the discussion of the meeting and submit the draft to the Second Plenary Session for further review.

The Constitution amending process must follow such principles as upholding the Party's leadership, sticking to the path of justice of socialism with Chinese characteristics and adhering to correct political direction, according to a statement released after the Political Bureau's meeting.

The amendment process must be carried out strictly through legal procedures, and it must be carried out with full democracy, a wide collection of consensuses, reflection of the people's will and support from the people, said the statement.

It must focus on some parts rather than an overhaul of the Constitution to ensure that it could not only meet the demands of the Party and people but also follow the rules of the Constitution and law development, so as to keep the Constitution's continuity, stability and authority, said the statement.

The meeting highlighted the significance of the Constitution as the country's fundamental law, the comprehensive charter to govern the country and the reflection of the Party's and people's will.

The CPC attaches great importance to the role that the Constitution plays in the governance of the country, and the Party has taken effective measures to enhance the implementation of the Constitution, the statement said.

With the form of China's fundamental law, the Constitution has acknowledged the great struggle and achievements of the Chinese people's revolution, building and reform under the leadership of the CPC, said the statement.

The Constitution has set China's basic political system, set the country's major tasks, leadership core, guiding thoughts, development path and future goals, stipulated the multiparty cooperation and political consultation system under the Party's leadership, and set such principles as socialism justice, democratic centralism and respect of human rights.

The systems, principles and stipulations of the Constitution must be followed in a long-term, comprehensive manner, as it has outstanding advantage and great vitality, said the statement.

The statement pointed out that amending the Constitution is a great event of the country's political life, a major decision made by the CPC Central Committee from a strategic view of upholding and developing socialism with Chinese characteristics in the new era, and a great step to advance the rule of law.

In order to make the Constitution better adapt to its important role in upholding and developing socialism with Chinese characteristics in the new era, some amending should be done to apply the Party's and people's theoretical innovation, practical innovation and systematic innovation outcomes in order to update the rules of the Constitution, said the statement.

The CPC Central Committee decided to discuss the amending issue through a plenary session, which demonstrates the great importance the CPC Central Committee has attached to the Constitution's amendment, said the statement.

The amendment process should uphold the banner of socialism with Chinese characteristics, fully implement the spirit of the CPC's 19th National Congress and follow the action guide of Marxism-Leninism, Mao Zedong Thought, Deng Xiaoping Theory, The Thought of Three Represents, Scientific Outlook on Development, and Xi Jinping Thought on Socialism with Chinese Characteristics for a New Era, said the statement.

The amending should reflect the new achievements, experiences and requirements of the Party, as well as the country's development, push the Constitution to keep up with the times, and provide Constitutional guarantee for the fulfillment of the two centenary goals and great rejuvenation of the Chinese nation, said the statement.