The Zhejiang Provincial People's Congress is not short of public opinion when it develops its legislative plan: it received 401 opinions between November 12 and November 30, after members of the public were invited for the first time to take part in the legislative process.

"The move to solicit opinions and ideas from the public is aimed at making legislative documents better meet the public interests," He Xiaomin, a senior official with the Legal Affairs Committee of the Provincial People's Congress, told China Daily.

People put forward their opinions through e-mails or mail over 20 days or by visiting a website established by the Legal Affairs Committee, He said.

These proposals covered wide-ranging problems related to political, economic and social issues, such as drafting regulations on labor and the social security system, protecting the rights and interests of disadvantaged groups, calling for enforcing measures of environmental protection, and asking for perfecting the supervision system of government departments, said He.

"We cannot underestimate the public's enthusiasm and ability of participating in the process of making a specific regulation," said Ding Zunian, vice-director of the Legal Affairs Commission of the Provincial People's Congress.

Officials said they did not expect the large number of public motions in the first place.

"These suggestions press us to amend and perfect existing regulations which no longer meet the needs of social development," said He.

Many of the suggestions coincide with the drafts being considered by the Provincial People's Congress, and provide valuable ideas to amend drafts, He said.

In the past, the legislative suggestions mainly came from government officials and experts, which may result in the imbalance of legislation, according to He.

(China Daily December 20, 2004)