II. We will implement the Oversight Law and make oversight work more
effective.
The Standing Committee actively explored ways to strengthen and improve the
oversight work of the NPC over the last four years, following an approach to
oversight work that requires concentrating on the core tasks, identifying
priorities and striving for substantive results. It listened to, deliberated and
approved 44 special reports on the work of the central government, the Supreme
People's Court and the Supreme People's Procuratorate and investigated
compliance with 21 laws. Through the oversight work of the NPC, solutions were
found to some longstanding problems affecting the overall interests of the
country, thus ensuring correct implementation of the laws, promoting government
administration in accordance with the law, ensuring justice in the judicial
system and safeguarding the lawful rights and interests of the people.
This year is the first year for the implementation of the Oversight Law. We
will take the implementation of this law as a fulcrum for efforts to strengthen
and improve oversight, standardize the forms of oversight to comply with the law
and strictly follow the procedures defined in the law in order to exercise more
effective oversight and raise the oversight work of the Standing Committee to a
new level. We plan to investigate compliance with the law in three areas and
listen to and deliberate nine special work reports during the year.
First, we will listen to and deliberate the State Council's reports on
building a new socialist countryside, conserving energy and protecting the
environment.
Second, we will listen to and deliberate the State Council's reports on
reforming the urban and rural medical and health care systems, tightening
oversight of food and drug safety and safeguarding the lawful rights and
interests of workers, and investigate compliance with the Compulsory Education
Law.
Third, we will listen to and deliberate reports by the Supreme People's Court
and the Supreme People's Procuratorate on improving the systems for trial
oversight and oversight over procuratorial work. We will monitor how well the
opinions contained in the reports on compliance with the Law on Judges and the
Law on Public Procurators have been implemented.
Fourth, we will listen to and deliberate the State Council's reports on work
related to overseas Chinese and on protecting the lawful rights and interests of
Taiwan compatriots investing in the mainland. We will monitor implementation of
the opinions contained in the reports on compliance with the Law on the Autonomy
of Ethnic Minority Areas, and monitor progress in formulating related supporting
rules and regulations.
We will strengthen oversight of budget implementation and economic work. We
will listen to and deliberate the State Council's report on the final accounts
of the central government and corresponding auditing report for 2006, and report
on standardizing government transfer payments. We will call on all concerned
departments to balance their budgets, ensure that key expenditures are properly
funded, properly handle surplus revenue over the budget target, standardize
transfer payments and improve outstanding balance management for the national
debt. We will support the auditing authorities in performing their duties in
accordance with the law and urge concerned departments to address or correct any
problem uncovered in the audit. We will listen to and deliberate the State
Council's report on the implementation of the plan for economic and social
development and increase monitoring and analysis of the performance of the
economy to promote sound and fast development of the Chinese economy.
In accordance with related provisions of the Oversight Law, we will improve
the filing and inspection of administrative regulations, local regulations,
legal interpretation documents and other regulatory documents. We will conduct
focused inspections of regulatory documents on our own initiative to effectively
safeguard the uniformity and authority of the country's legal system. We will
improve handling of people's petitions delivered via letters and visits. We will
carry out an overall analysis of such petitions and urge the relevant offices to
find effective solutions to serious problems that are reflected in many
petitions and evoke a strong reaction from the people in order to resolve
conflicts at the local level in the place where they arise.
The Standing Committee will be more conscientious in subjecting itself to
oversight by you and the people. It will use a variety of means, including
printed bulletins, press conferences, interviews and the Internet, to inform you
and the public about its work. The information released will include the annual
plan for oversight work, reports on compliance with the laws and comments on
those reports, as well as work reports delivered to the Standing Committee, the
Committee's comments on those work reports and the responses to its comments
from the central government, the Supreme People's Court and the Supreme People's
Procuratorate. The Standing Committee will carefully listen to your and other
people's comments and suggestions concerning its work to improve its performance
under this oversight.
The most fundamental requirement for successful implementation of the Law on
Oversight and effective oversight of people's congresses is to organically
combine the leadership of the Party, the people's position as the masters of the
country and the running of the government according to the rule of law.
First, we must uphold the Party's leadership. The CPC is the leadership core
for the cause of socialism with Chinese characteristics. Upholding the Party's
leadership is a basic prerequisite and fundamental guarantee for success in the
work of people's congresses. All the work of people's congresses must contribute
to improving the Party's leadership, consolidating the Party's position as the
governing party and ensuring implementation of the Party's line, principles and
policies.
Second, we must properly handle the relationship between people's congresses
on the one hand and the people's governments, the people's courts and the
people's procuratorates on the other. Overseeing the work of the people's
governments, the people's courts and the people's procuratorates is one of the
major powers granted to people's congresses in the Constitution and other laws.
The oversight by people's congresses is oversight with the force of law carried
out on behalf of the state and the people. Deputies to people's congresses must
exercise their oversight power conscientiously, act in accordance with the law
and prescribed procedures, uphold democratic centralism, exercise power
collectively and decide on issues collectively. People's congresses are organs
of state power that do not exercise administrative, judicial or procuratorial
power in their oversight work. They coordinate the work of other organs of the
state in the independent performance of their duties and responsibilities in
accordance with the law and under the unified leadership of the Party.
Third, we must concentrate on the core tasks, identify priorities and strive
for substantive results. The oversight work of people's congresses must all be
closely related to the overall work of the Party and the government, and
oversight efforts should be focused on issues that are of vital importance to
overall reform, development and stability, draw wide public attention or affect
social harmony. A combination of forms of oversight should be applied to resolve
problems that are widespread or that indicate an unhealthy trend. People's
congresses should constantly work to make their oversight work more focused and
effective.
