Full Text: Work report of NPC Standing Committee(5)

4. Getting deputies to the NPC to fully play their role in participating in the administration of state affairs

Deputies to the NPC are members of the highest body of state power. Respecting the rights of deputies is tantamount to respecting those of the people, and guaranteeing that deputies perform their duties in accordance with the law is the same as ensuring that the people are masters of the country. We always made getting deputies to fully play their role an important aspect of upholding and improving the system of people's congresses. We revised the Law on Deputies to People's Congresses on the basis of a review of our practical experience, made our work related to deputies more systemic, provided better services for them, and got them to better play their role in participating in the administration of state affairs.

First, we ensured that deputies to the NPC participated in the exercise of state power. The deputies to this NPC participated in the exercise of state power mainly by attending NPC sessions and deliberating and voting on bills, reports and other matters. To fully ensure the democratic rights of deputies, before NPC sessions we organized them to go over and discuss important bills to be presented to the session for deliberation, and we conscientiously listened to their comments and suggestions on them. During NPC sessions, we promoted democracy, adopted all useful ideas of deputies, and urged relevant parties to revise and improve their bills and reports in light of deputies' comments and suggestions. After NPC sessions, we promptly consolidated and put in order the comments and suggestions of deputies and referred them to relevant parties to study them and make improvements. We made every effort to keep deputies informed of developments in state affairs by promptly providing them with materials on the country's economic and social development, holding meetings as needed to brief them on the situation, and organizing inspection tours and study sessions for them on special topics, and helped them become acquainted with the major decisions of the Party and country and the progress of their work, thereby creating good conditions for them to deliberate bills and reports.

Second, we handled bills and proposals of deputies more effectively. Submitting bills and proposals is an important way deputies perform their duties in accordance with the law, and it is the legally mandated duty of state bodies to handle their bills and proposals. Every year, the Standing Committee listened to and deliberated reports of special committees on the results of their deliberation of deputies' bills, and listened to reports of the General Office of the Standing Committee and relevant parties on their handling of deputies' proposals. Organizations to which deputies' bills and proposals were referred increased ties with deputies, invited them to participate in symposiums and in investigations and studies on special issues, and worked with them on studying and handling their bills and proposals. Special committees strengthened follow-up oversight of the handling of key proposals and worked to ensure that the handling of bills raised the quality of legislation, and the handling of proposals helped improve work. For example, the Law concerning the Prevention and Control of Occupational Diseases was revised on the basis of deputies' proposals that the responsibilities of employers be clarified, trade unions play a bigger role, and workplace monitoring be strengthened. The problems of how to ensure safe drinking water in Xihaigu, Ningxia, relocate people for ecological reasons, and develop water-conserving, high-efficiency agriculture, raised by the Ningxia delegation of deputies in its proposals to the NPC, and the problems of how to protect the ecology of grasslands and increase herdsmen's incomes, put forward by the Inner Mongolia delegation in its proposals, have all been solved satisfactorily owing to special committees' continued follow-up oversight and the concerted efforts of everyone involved, and some of the solutions have also been spread throughout the country. This was not only the result of deputies playing their role, but was an important manifestation of the position of the people as masters of the country.

Third, we expanded deputies' participation in the work of the Standing Committee. The Standing Committee is formed by the NPC and is responsible to it and subject to its oversight. The Standing Committee relied closely on deputies so it could do its work well and put in place a sound mechanism for deputies' participation in its work. When drawing up legislative plans and annual plans for legislative and oversight work, we carefully studied the major problems deputies most commonly raised in their bills and proposals and took them as an important basis for setting legislative and oversight tasks. In the course of our legislative and oversight work, we invited deputies who are involved in the concerned area or familiar with the issues to participate in investigations and studies of legislative matters or special topics and in investigations of compliance with laws, and to attend the meetings of the Standing Committee and special committees in a nonvoting capacity. In addition, we solicited written opinions on major draft laws from all deputies to the NPC and adopted all their reasonable suggestions. Deputies who attended the meetings in a nonvoting capacity or took part in other activities carefully prepared in advance and actively participated, thus playing an important role in improving the quality of the work of the Standing Committee.

Fourth, we forged closer ties between deputies and the people. Deputies work and live among the people and have close ties with them. They fully understand how the principles and policies of the Party and government and the country's Constitution and laws are implemented. They have a thorough knowledge of the practical problems of daily life and what the people want. We strengthened and improved our work of maintaining contacts with and serving deputies, and established contact offices for deputies to the NPC at standing committees of provincial-level people's congresses. We set up over 260 groups of deputies to the NPC and improved the way they carry out activities. We expanded the channels through which deputies maintain contacts with the people, and supported them in listening to and reporting on the people's opinions in a variety of ways. Every year we organized investigations and studies for deputies on major issues affecting reform, development and stability, and referred investigative reports resulting therefrom to relevant parties for study and handling, thereby providing reference information for the Party and government to make decisions.