China has decided to convene the first plenary session of the
11th National People's Congress (NPC) on March 5, 2008, during
which top state and government leaders will be elected.
The 31st meeting of the 10th NPC Standing Committee, which
concluded Saturday, passed a resolution which sets forth
suggestions for the session's agenda.
According to the resolution, the session, which will last for
about two weeks, will elect chairman and vice chairmen of the NPC
Standing Committee, and elect the country's president and
vice-president. It will decide on the list of the State Council's
premier and vice premiers, as well as state councilors and
ministers for government departments.
The meeting will elect chairman of the Central Military
Commission of the People's Republic of China, and heads of the
Supreme People's Court and the Supreme People's Procuratorate.
The agenda also includes reading and approval of the government
report; checking and approval of reports on the implementation of
the annual plan on national economic and social development in 2007
and the draft plan on national economic and social development in
2008, and checking and approval of reports on the implementation of
the central and local budgets of 2007 and the draft central and
local budgets of 2008.
The session will also hear and deliberate three work reports by
the NPC Standing Committee, the Supreme People's Court and the
Supreme People's Procuratorate, and a State Council plan on
institutional reform.
The NPC is the highest institution through which the Chinese
people exercise their state power.
In 1953, China held people's congresses at different levels.
In1954, the First National People's Congress (NPC) was convened,
marking the establishment of the people's congress system in
China.
The NPC exercises legislative power, amends the Constitution and
supervises its enforcement, formulates and amends basic statutes
and other laws; elects and decides on the leading personnel of
state-level administrative, judicial, procuratorial and military
bodies, and has the right to recall them; supervises government
work in accordance with the Constitution and laws; and examines and
decides on the fundamental, long-term and key issues of the
state.
All administrative, judicial, procuratorial and military organs
and other state-level institutions are responsible to the NPC and
supervised by it.
(Xinhua News Agency December 30, 2007)