The Second Session of the 10th National Committee of the Chinese People’s Political Consultative Conference (CPPCC), a broad-based national advisory body, concluded Friday, March 12, in Beijing, after passing a package of amendments to its charter.
The amendments include 22 major changes concerning the body’s guiding theory, representations of China’s basic political system and the CPPCC’s nature and function, the requirements, rights and obligations of CPPCC members, and improvement of the CPPCC system and procedures.
Marxism-Leninism, Mao Zedong Thought, Deng Xiaoping Theory and “the important thought of ‘Three Represents,’” was written into the charter as the CPPCC guiding theory. The guiding theory was not defined in previous charters.
Also incorporated into the amended charter are the expressions: “builders of the socialist cause”; “promoting a coordinated development of socialist material and political civilization, and social ethical and cultural civilization”; “consolidating and developing the public-ownership economy, and encouraging, supporting and guiding the growth of the private sector economy”; and “making concerted efforts for the great rejuvenation of the Chinese nation.”
The system of multiparty cooperation and political consultation under the leadership of the Communist Party of China (CPC) is written into the revised charter. This, together with “unity and democracy are the two major themes of the CPPCC,” is a fundamental tenet of the system.
The amended charter includes a clear definition of the requirements, rights and obligations of CPPCC members, such as loving the motherland, supporting CPC leadership and the socialist cause, safeguarding unity among various ethnic groups, national reunification and abiding by the Constitution and other laws.
The system and procedures for the CPPCC to perform its duties were also improved and standardized during the session.
The 10th CPPCC National Committee also approved a political resolution at the closing of its second session.
According to the political resolution, the session approved a report on the work of the Standing Committee of the CPPCC National Committee, a report on the issue of the members' proposals, and the amendment to the CPPCC Charter.
The members of the CPPCC National Committee also observed the Second Session of the 10th National People's Congress (NPC), the top legislature, and agreed to the Report on the Work of Government, the draft amendment to the country's Constitution, and other reports.
They spoke highly of the country's achievements in the past year and expressed confidence in the accomplishment of all the tasks set forth in the Report on the Work of the Government.
The CPPCC members reached a consensus that the draft amendment to the Constitution is based on the opinions from all walks of life, embodies the important thought of "Three Represents" and the essence of the 16th National Congress of the Communist Party of China (CPC), reflects the common aspiration of the whole people, and accords with the fundamental interests of the whole people.
According to the political resolution, the amendment to the CPPCC Charter is an important event for the implementation and improvement of the system of multi-party cooperation and political consultation system under the CPC leadership, and a major step for the CPPCC to meet the new requirements under the new situation and tasks, which is bound to have a major impact on the cause of the CPPCC.
(Xinhua News Agency March 12, 2004)
