Xiamen, a port city in east China's Fujian Province, has recently opened its congressional meetings to the public.
Twenty-four citizens, including retired officials, workers, farmers and lawyers, listened to a deliberation by the Municipal People's Congress Standing Committee last Saturday in the public gallery, for the first time.
Zheng Qingxun, deputy secretary-general of the Standing Committee, said the move marks new progress in the building of political democracy in the city.
"This will raise the transparency of the legislative body, encourage public involvement in decision-making and strengthen the ties between the legislators and the general public," he said.
All the citizens of Xiamen, as well as those outsiders that have lived in the city for over a year with a temporary residential license, are qualified to apply for an auditing seat, according to the rules.
Auditors at the congressional meetings are not allowed to speak or raise questions, but they can express their opinions in written form, Zheng said.
(People's Daily 04/08/2001)
