Rally marks 50th anniversary of NPC
By Sun Shangwu (China Daily)
Updated: 2004-09-15 23:59

President Hu Jintao vowed Wednesday in Beijing to develop socialist democratic politics by strengthening the people's congress system, but refused to blindly copy western political systems.

Chinese President Hu Jintao delivers a speech at a rally Wednesday in the Great Hall of the People in Beijing to mark the 50th anniversary of the founding of the NPC. He stressed that following western political systems  blindly would lead China to a dead end. [Xinhua]

How to restrain and supervise power is an important task for developing socialist democratic politics, said Hu in a speech delivered at a grand rally to mark the 50th anniversary of the founding of the National People's Congress (NPC), China's top legislature, in the Great Hall of the People.

The people's congress and its standing committee, which are the organs of State power, could perform supervisory duties on behalf of the country and people, said Hu, also General Secretary of the Central Committee of the Communist Party of China (CPC) at the rally presided over by NPC Chairman Wu Bangguo.

Hu said that the supervision should target attaining the following goals: the Constitution and laws must be properly implemented, the administrative and judicial power be correctly performed and legitimate rights of citizens and organizations be respected and safeguarded.

The people's congress and its standing committee at all levels, which have 2.8 million deputies across the country, should have closer links with the people, said Hu.

When examining if a political system is democratic or not, it is very important to see if people's will is reflected and their rights safeguarded, Hu added.

A grand rally is held Wednesday in the Great Hall of the People in Beijing to mark the 50th anniversary of the founding of the NPC. [Xinhua]

According to the Constitution, people's congresses are responsible for creating and supervising all administrative, judicial and procuratorial bodies at every level.

China held people's congresses at different levels in 1953, and in 1954 the First National People's Congress was convened, marking the establishment of the people's congress system.

Hu also urged the people's congress to improve the quality of legislation on both economic and political affairs.

According to the Legislative Procedures Law, people's congresses above county level hold legislative power.

The President said that legislation on economic affairs should be highlighted to improve China's socialist market economy system.

While laws on democratic and political affairs should be drafted or improved to safeguard citizens' rights, maintain social stability and promote social progress, he added.

Hu said that China will establish a comprehensive legal system, with specific Chinese characteristics, by 2010.

It is commonly accepted that a comprehensive legal system comprises constitutional, civil and commercial, administrative, economic, social, criminal and procedural legislation, which comply with the basic tenets of the Constitution.

In his speech, Hu also recalled the failures of China's bourgeois republic system established by Dr. Sun Yat-sen, and various forms of political systems introduced in the past.

Reviewing the half-century history of the people's congress system, Hu said that it is a basic political system that conforms to China's national condition and allows Chinese people to be masters of their country.

An adopted political system must be suitable for the national condition and nature of this country, Hu said.

"We will learn from all the positive aspects of human civilization, including politics, but we will not copy other countries' political systems," he added.

Hu also called for scientifically regulating the relationship between Party committees and people's congresses, and to support people's congresses to function according to law.

The work must be done in line with the principle that the CPC takes a dominant role and co-ordinates all sectors.

To let people have a better understanding of China's basic political system, China is going to hold a series of activities to commemorate the 50th anniversary of the founding of the NPC across the country.

Hu promised at the rally to actively and steadily push political reform, expand socialist democracy, improve the socialist legal system and build a country under the rule of law.

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