Public participation in legislation is beneficial, says a signed article in Xiaoxiang Morning Post. An excerpt follows:

Following last year's publication of the draft property law, which has provoked heated discussions, the Standing Committee of the National People's Congress (NPC) recently made public the draft of the labor contract law, in the hope of creating similar discussion in various social circles.

This is another move taken by the NPC Standing Committee in practicing the "mass line" in the process of legislation.

A "mass line" means participation of the masses in the process of legislation through various channels.

This kind of legislation process helps laws better safeguard the fundamental interests of ordinary people.

The Law on Legislation makes full stipulations on the public's involvement in legislation, such as soliciting opinions from the masses on draft laws, increasing the number of published law drafts, and gradually expanding the opinion-soliciting scope.

In fact, following the creation of the Law on Legislation, some new developments have been made in public participation in recent years.

In October last year, Guizhou Province in southwest China promulgated a document stipulating that citizens, legal persons and organizations can put forward to the provincial legislative body drafts on local regulations. It was the province's first document stipulating citizens' participation in legislation.

Three years ago, 12 lawyers in southwestern Chongqing Municipality independently drafted the municipal property management ordinance, which was then passed by the municipal people's congress.

Last year, under the commission of the Tianjin municipal people's congress, the city's association of lawyers organized a 12-member group for the drafting of a regulation on local hearings.

All this demonstrated that public participation in legislation has become comparatively direct and has developed to a high degree.

Lawyers, law experts and other personages assisting deputies of people's congress at various levels in drafting law bills has already become common,

Citizens' involvement in legislation is a component of their participation in politics.

The wider the road, the better the environment for their orderly participation in politics.

(China Daily March 27, 2006)