Session to amend charter of CPPCC
By Jiang Zhuqing (China Daily)
Updated: 2004-03-03 11:27

More than 2,200 of China's top political advisers will spend the next 10 days helping forge the policies of the world's most populous nation.

They will discuss draft amendments to the charter of the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference (CPPCC) at this year's full session of the 10th National Committee of the CPPCC, which starts today.

"The existing CPPCC charter is a very good one. The charter's stability should be kept as it, in general, conforms to the requirements of China's reform and opening-up and the socialist modernization drive," said Zheng Wantong, secretary-general of the 10th National Committee of the CPPCC.

Meanwhile, the charter needs to be amended so it can meet the new tasks confronting the CPPCC, said Zheng at a meeting of standing committee members of the CPPCC National Committee on Friday.

Amending the CPPCC charter is an essential matter that influences the system of multi-party co-operation and political consultation under the leadership of the Communist Party of China, he said.

But amending the charter is not the only hot issue as more advisers are paying attention to matters affecting every Chinese citizen.

Putting forward proposals is the most direct way for CPPCC members have say in State affairs and in national policies making.

Since the first session of the 10th National Committee of the CPPCC last year, the CPPCC's proposal committee has received 3,819 proposals, of which 3,576 have been accepted and passed on to more than 150 central and local government departments, as well as organizations concerned.

Statistics show that most of the proposals raised by the CPPCC members are about economic development, science, education, culture, public health and legislation.

By February 20, feedback had been given to 98.8 per cent of the proposals and 83.4 per cent of the problems mentioned in the proposals had been resolved or were on the way to being settled.

Topics touching upon most in these proposals included issues related to farmers, the progress and drawbacks of modernization, economic structure, the reform of commercial banks, food safety, anti-corruption measures, and the growing gap between the rich and the poor.

CPPCC member Liang Chaoran, from the Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region, said he always gives his attention to the establishment of the social security system in rural areas.

Between August and November last year, 67-year-old Liang, joined by his research panel, conducted a thorough investigation covering more than 20 counties and cities in the region.

"The vast rural area has made great contributions to China's industrialization and urbanization," said Liang, who drafted a report based on his investigation. "But the wretched economic situation in the rural areas has brought forward the need for social security."

He suggested that: "The establishment of the social security system in the rural area should be put on the agenda during the formation of the social welfare system in China."

Liang was not alone in his concern for the future of farmers.

CPPCC member Xu Yongguang said the increasing marginalization of children of migrant workers, who are mainly farmers - in terms of education - will not only produce a new generation of illiterates but also distort their views toward social fairness.

Statistics show that 90 per cent of the 7 million or so children of migrant workers can go to primary schools, but only 20 per cent of them have the chance to undertake further study.

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