Last updated at: (Beijing Time) Thursday, February 27, 2003
NPC Paves Way for Election of New Chinese Leadership
China's top legislature held the final meeting of its ninth five-year term of office Thursday to pave the way for the upcoming election of a new Chinese leadership.
China's top legislature held the final meeting of its ninth five-year term of office Thursday to pave the way for the upcoming election of a new Chinese leadership.
The 32nd meeting of the Ninth National People's Congress (NPC) Standing Committee approved a report on the examination of the qualification of all the 2,985 deputies to the First Session of the 10th NPC, scheduled to begin on Mar. 5, at which new Chinese leaders including the state president and premier will be elected.
Wang Weicheng, chairman of the Credentials Committee of the Ninth NPC Standing Committee, presented the report to the two-day meeting, which was presided over by Li Peng, chairman of the NPC Standing Committee.
"Results of the examinations showed that the 2,985 deputies to the Tenth NPC were elected in accordance with the law, and therefore held a valid qualification," Wang said.
The Tenth NPC deputies were elected from 35 electoral units across China, including all the provinces, autonomous regions and municipalities, the Hong Kong and Macao special administrative regions, and the People's Liberation Army.
All elections were conducted in accordance with the Law on Elections of the National People's Congress and of Local People's Congresses at All Levels and other relevant laws, Wang said.
However, there were currently only 2,984 deputies to the upcoming session, because He Tuanjing, a deputy from Fujian Province, died of illness on Feb. 22, he said.
The lawmakers also examined the drafts of the agenda for the first session of the Tenth NPC, the list of candidates for secretary-general of the session and members of the Presidium, the work report of the NPC Standing Committee, and the list of non-voting delegates attending the session.
Other items submitted for deliberation included a draft regulation on a new ranking system to be adopted by Chinese customs, and two motions to urge the lawmakers to approve consular agreements between China and Nigeria, and between China and Russia.