The fact that migrant workers have been elected deputies to the
local people's congresses nationwide signifies reform to include
more voices from the grassroots, and effective supervision of the
work of governments at all levels.
The connection between farmers-turned-workers and deputies to
the people's congresses would have been unimaginable several years
ago although there were calls to give due regard to the hardship
and unfair treatment of this special group of people.
These calls have helped improve the living and working
conditions of these workers. But the fact that 200 million migrant
workers have become such an important work force for both
urbanization progress and the building of China into a modernized
country has made it urgent that they, also as a political force and
social group, need to have their deputies in the legislative bodies
at various levels to express their concerns and rights, as well
participate in State affairs.
This is also necessitated by the nature of the people's congress
- the country's basic democratic system. How the people's
congresses at various levels function as legislative bodies to
regulate laws and as watchdogs to supervise the work of governments
demonstrates how democracy is exercised in this country.
The election of farmers-turned-workers as deputies therefore
marks progress in the continuous reform of this system toward the
goal of turning itself into an organ that can earnestly regulate
laws and supervise the use of power by governments on behalf of the
general public.
The reduction of the proportion of government officials as
deputies in some localities is also a case in point. In Shanghai's
new municipal people's congress, the number of government official
deputies has been reduced by 49, and the places given to deputies
from workers and farmers. Other localities have also reduced the
number of government officials as candidates for deputies.
The number of government officials used to be as high as 70 or
even 80 percent among congress deputies. As a result, the chances
were quite limited that the will of the general public could be
voiced at the congresses, and their function as watchdogs of the
work of governments was compromised.
The increase in deputies from the grassroots level, the election
of deputies from migrant workers in particular, and reduction in
the number of deputies from government officials points to the
right direction of reform of the legislative bodies and the future
of this nation at large.
(China Daily January 15, 2008)