In his government work report delivered at the ongoing Third
Session of the National People's Congress (NPC) and Chinese
People's Political Consultative Conference, Premier Wen Jiabao
underscored the importance of dealing with petitions effectively to
avoid social divisions.
The report said government should "handle disagreements promptly
and properly solve problems put forward by the people."
Grassroots deputies said many local governments have changed
their attitude toward group disturbances, which are usually caused
by disillusionment or loss of confidence in their ability or
willingness to deal with complaints.
Most people are reasonable and understanding -- they make
petitions only when they find unfairness in governments' judgments
and not for the sake of it, said NPC deputy Wang Xiaojiang, Party
branch secretary of Xihuafeng Village, Jiaozuo City in the central
province of Henan.
Some local governments have failed to properly deal with the
concerns of common people, resulting in a loss of credibility. When
this happens, small incidents easily turn into serious
disturbances, said deputy Deng Zhifang, who works at the Luoyang
White Horse Weaving Shuttle Factory in Henan.
In the second half of 2004, there were some relatively
large-scale disturbances in places such as Chongqing, Sichuan and
Henan that aroused much debate. Some experts said they revealed a
degree of social division and conflict between the common people
and government officials that would obstruct the road to a
harmonious society.
While central government is seeking ways to facilitate feedback
on social conditions and to solicit public opinion, and urging
government officials to actively seek out problems instead of
common people having to constantly make appeals, grassroots bodies
are also looking for effective petition systems.
Jiaozuo began implementing its "expert hearing" system last year
to help those who often have to make petitions to the central
government solve their problems, and this has proved effective,
said Wang Xiaojiang.
Wang said they are attended by lawyers, law enforcement
officials and judicial officials, local government leaders,
representatives who know the petition's background and NPC
deputies.
During the hearings, lawyers play a key role, said Wang. They
first determine the legal validity of petition cases. If invalid,
they will try to solve the problem through mediation, and if valid,
the hearing representatives will consult together and the courts
will place the case on file for further investigation.
Such hearings can now be seen taking place in the surrounding
counties and villages. Frequent petitioners have a place to air
their grievances, and find their problems more smoothly solved,
said Wang, who has attended three county-level expert hearings.
After losing lawsuits and making many petitions, people can be
left in bad financial situations and end up resenting the
government.
Expert hearings shorten the distance between petitioners and
government, exploring the background of their problems and helping
solve their economic difficulties. They also undermine the
impression that government officials protect each other against the
people's interests, said Wang.
The State Bureau for Correspondence and Visitation has shown
great interest in the expert hearing system and may promote it
nationwide.
The quality of government officials is the most important
factor, said Sun Gui, Party branch secretary of Longquansi Village,
Pingdingshan City, also in Henan.
He said petitions show that problems exist in government work,
and that only with grassroots officials actively seeking petitions
can these problems be effectively solved.
A harmonious society must be based on harmonious interpersonal
relationships, said Zhao Guizhen, Party branch secretary of
Ganggentaohai Village, Suolun Town in Inner Mongolia Autonomous
Region.
A policy environment in which free communication and equal
interaction are ensured for all interest groups is necessary to
reestablish the close relationship between the common people and
the government, he added.
Courts at various levels handled an increasing number of
petition cases in 2004. The number being dealt with by local courts
stood at 4.22 million, a year-on-year increase of 6.2 percent.
In order to better hear grassroots complaints, the 10-year-old
regulation on petitions was amended in January to strengthen
protection of petitioners' rights. The revised regulation will take
effect as of May 1.
(China.org.cn by Yuan Fang, March 12, 2005)