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Legislators focus on people's needs
2004-03-08
China Daily
Chinese legislators are focusing on issues that affect people and co-ordinated social development, the motions proposed by deputies to the 10th National People's Congress (NPC) have indicated.
Motions are a major channel for NPC deputies to exercise their law-making and supervision power.
As of yesterday morning, the third day of the 10-day-long 10th NPC session, more than 120 motions had been handed over to the secretariat of the NPC session.
Generally, the proposed motions are connected to big issues such as rural problems, sustainable development and improving the democracy and legislation, said Peng Yibing, an official from the motion office of the NPC session.
These motions also cover other issues such as economic system reform, education development, science, culture and health, and social welfare.
Among the 97 motions received by the evening of March 5, 93 were linked to the making and revision of laws.
Many deputies have shown interest in new laws to protect the interests and rights of farmers, including those 90 million farmer-turned workers.
Meanwhile, the basic health rights of farmers, the majority of whom now are not covered by any medical insurance and are receiving poor-quality medical services, also should be protected by making or revising laws, said Gui Zhongyue, a deputy from Northwest China's Shaanxi Province.
And infectious disease control, such as SARS and HIV/AIDS, also should be improved by revising the Law on Infectious Disease Prevention and Control which was launched in the 1980s and does not meet current needs, some motions pointed out.
A provincial-level delegation of deputies to the NPC, or a group of at least 30 NPC deputies can submit motions, including bills and proposals, to the NPC plenary session.
These motions are handed over to the nine NPC special working committees to decide whether to put them into the agenda of the NPC plenary session or the agenda of the NPC Standing Committee.
All 1,050 proposals put forth last year, including 338 handed over to the NPC special working committees for further examination, have paid off, Peng said.
The nine special working committees focus on lawmaking, economic and financial affairs, environmental and resources protection, education, science and culture, agriculture and rural affairs, ethnical affairs, foreign affairs and overseas Chinese affairs.
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