China's top legislature, the National People's Congress (NPC),
adopted the amendments to the Constitution Sunday with an
overwhelming majority of 2,863 votes in favor before closing its
10-day annual session.?
The legislators attending the closing meeting of the NPC session
cast their votes through secret ballot, which is televised live by
state television and radio stations.
Of the 2,903 ballots issued, 2,891 ballots were recovered with
2,890 valid. There were 2,863 votes in favor, 10 against, 17
abstentions.
The amendments to the Constitution consist 14 revisions, with
the most prominent parts highlighting respect for and protection of
human rights and protection of lawful private property.
Some foreign diplomats who followed the NPC session spoke highly
of the constitutional amendments.
"I think China's constitutional amendments are very positive,
which will further push your country's democratic and economic
reform," Sandor Kusai, deputy chief of mission from the Embassy of
Hungary in Beijing, told Xinhua.
Witnessing the ballot-casting process, the Hungary diplomat
described the inclusion of human rights protection into the
Constitution as a "really positive step" and will "surely help
China protect citizens' human rights at a higher level."
Mosud Mannan, minister from the Embassy of Bangladesh in
Beijing, described the amendments to the Constitution as "very
conductive" and the process as "very transparent" and
"convincible."
The Chinese leadership said the adoption of the amendments
showed the common wishes of the people and the Communist Party of
China (CPC).
"The amendments to the Constitution represent the common
aspirations of the Communist Party of China and the people of all
nationalities in the country," said Wu Bangguo, chairman of the NPC
Standing Committee, after the amendments were adopted.
"We should make the endorsement of the amendments an opportunity
to publicize the Constitution for the whole society, especially
officials at all levels and government functionaries, to study it,
keep it in mind, safeguard its authority and guarantee it is
implemented validly," Wu said.
The amendments were the fourth to China's Constitution, which
contains 138 articles. The previous three amendments, made in 1988,
1993 and 1999 respectively, also highlighted the growth of the
non-public economy and market economy.
At least three subjects used to be off-limits to the Chinese
society come in the spotlight after the Constitutional amendments,
said a political science scholar from Shanghai. They are private
property protection, respect for and protection of human rights,
and encouragement of non-public sectors.
To incorporate people from new social strata other than workers,
peasants and intellectuals as "builders of socialism" into the
Constitution "will benefit the capital accumulation of the
non-public sectors," said Peng Zhenqiu, member of the NPC and vice
president of the Shanghai Socialist Academy.
Other major points of the amendments include the institution of
the guiding role of the "Three Represents" important thought in the
national political and social life, expressions of coordinated
development of material civilization and political and cultural
progress, and improvement of the land expropriation system.
"There were just a few changes in the Constitution, but they are
meant so much to people like me from the rural area," said Rong
Jie, a farmer-turned cobbler. Rong came from the eastern province
of Anhui to Beijing a dozen years ago in search of fortune. Now
Rong and his family live in a luxury apartment in downtown Beijing
which he bought for nearly US$100,000.
"It is even more important for those who still till farmland in
my home village," he said. "They have lost much of their land, but
got very little compensation."
Many NPC members agreed it was crucial to add to the
Constitution a new article on respecting and protecting human
rights.
"In the past, 'human rights' were cited as something innate to
capitalism," said Zhang Linchun, an NPC member and president of the
Guizhou Provincial Higher People's Court. "As a matter of fact,
progress has been made in respecting and protecting human rights in
China, but not in a much-publicized way."
An on-line survey by China's Xinhuanet.com found that 46.6
percent of the 4,399 respondents said the new article on human
rights would "help standardize the government's administrative and
law-enforcement work."
In China over the last few years, there has been a growing
demand for intensified efforts to protect the rights of farmers who
losing their land to urbanization projects, of urban residents who
are not properly compensated for demolition of their houses, and of
migrant laborers who face wage arrears.
At the request of NPC members during the session, the former
wording "along the road of building socialism with Chinese
characteristics" is changed into "along the road of socialism with
Chinese characteristics."
Meanwhile, NPC members have begun their research in preparation
for future constitutional amendments.
Chen Derong, an NPC member and mayor of Jiaxing city, Zhejiang
Province, said the political reform of China "is yet to comply
with" its economic reform in many areas, and "we'll get much done
next time."
However, an urgent job at present is to have more people
acquainted with the constitutional amendments and a mechanism
established to ensure the implementation.
(Xinhua News Agency March 14, 2004)