Local people's congresses and their standing committees must adhere to and rely on the leadership of the Communist Party of China (CPC) and turn the Party's propositions, which have been proved correct by practice, into the will of the state and the people.

A group of provincial-level people's congress leaders were of the same opinion while attending a meeting here today, which was attended by Li Peng, Chairman of the National People's Congress Standing Committee, and presided over by two vice chairmen of the NPC Standing Committee, Tian Jiyun and Xu Jialu.

This year is the 20th anniversary of the establishment of standing committees of provincial-level people's congresses.

The standing committees of provincial-level people's congresses and of other local people's congresses empowered by the NPC Standing Committee to enact local laws, have enjoyed the power to make local laws, decide on major local issues, appoint and remove personnel in local government and law-enforcement departments, and supervise the implementation of local laws and the work of local governments, courts and procuratorates.

Tian Jiyun said the two-day meeting was convened to share experiences on the work of local people's congresses and discuss how to further strengthening the Party's leadership on the work of the people's congresses, adhere to and improve the people's congress system, and implement the basic principal of governing the nation with law.

Under the Chinese Constitution and law, deputies to local people's congresses are elected by citizens, while their standing committees are selected by the deputies.

At present, deputies of people's congresses at county- and township-levels are directly elected by voters.