Biggest ever revisions to constitution
( 2003-12-29 08:00) (China Daily)
The largest amendments to China's 1982 Constitution will go under the
spotlight of the National People's Congress (NPC) next year.
Some 2,900
deputies are expected to participate in the Second Plenary Session of the 10th
NPC from March 5, 2004.
The deputies will deliberate draft constitutional
amendments unanimously passed by the 10th NPC Standing Committee over the
weekend.
This will be the fourth amendments of China's 1982 Constitution. The
previous three were approved in 1988, 1993 and 1999.
The draft amendments,
covering the preamble and 12 articles, are the most extensive so far. They
include stipulations on the protection of human rights, private property rights
and the establishment of national social security institutions.
Top
legislator Wu Bangguo said the amendments reflect a common aspiration of the
people to incorporate mature theories and practices into the
Constitution.
The Constitution should be amended under strict legal
procedures and legislators should collect more opinions from the people and
further promote constitutional knowledge, said Wu, chairman of the 10th NPC
Standing Committee.
The NPC deputies will also review reports on the work of
the government, national economic and social development plan, central and local
budgets, as well as reports by the chairman of the 10th NPC Standing Committee,
the top judge and the top procurator.
While the constitutional amendments
marked the highlight of the weekend's 10th NPC Standing Committee meeting, other
issues ranging from corruption to banking were also on the agenda.
Two
deputies to the 10th NPC were fired following bribery charges.
Chen Mansheng,
a deputy from Central China's Hunan Province, was dismissed for alleged bribery
during an election.
Yan Liangzhong, a deputy from Southwest China's Sichuan
Province, was dismissed for allegedly taking bribes.
The lawmakers also
passed the Law on Banking Supervision and amendments to the Law on the People's
Bank of China and the Law on Commercial Banks.
Under the new legislation, the
China Banking Regulatory Commission (CBRC) is authorized to oversee all banks
and financial institutions in China, investigate illegal banking operations, and
render punishments for violations. The commission was set up in April this year,
to replace the People's Bank of China, the central bank, as the country's
banking watchdog.
|
