It's been a long journey, but they've finally arrived

This year marked my first time to join the army of reporters at the NPC/CPPCC sessions.

But I wasn't the only newbie - three new faces made their debut appearances at the nation's most important meetings.

Zhu Xueqin from Shanghai, Hu Xiaoyan from Guangdong and Kang Houming from Chongqing were elected as NPC deputies.

This marks the first time that the deputies picked to represent the farmers-turned-workers who have received so little in exchange for the sacrifices they have made to drive the country's economy have been able to sit down with the nation's decision makers.

But now that they have seats in the Great Hall of the People and have had their voice heard by State leaders, several questions come to mind.

For example, were there systemic or legal barriers in the election process that prevented migrant workers from being represented in the past? Are these three deputies able to speak for a labor force of some 200 million people? Are they personally qualified?

By law, deputies to congresses at the city level or below are elected directly by their constituencies, while representatives to higher-level congresses are elected by the lawmaking bodies at the next lower level.

In practice, deputies emerging from direct elections are chosen by people who are registered as permanent residents of a given area, which effectively bars most migrant workers from being elected.

Such barriers were not removed until the NPC session last year, when the highest lawmaking body made it clear that there should be migrant worker deputies from regions with large concentrations of farmers-turned-workers.

That paved the way for Zhu, Hu and Kang to enter the NPC, though finding a proper candidate among the poorly educated army of migrant workers was by no means an easy job.

Yang Chengyong, an official at the electoral affairs department in the Guangdong provincial congress, said Hu had risen above the 30 million peers because she is qualified politically, well educated and feels comfortable speaking her mind in public.

As soon as Hu knew she would be setting off for Beijing, the 34-year-old has been taking advantage of all her free time to learn how to be an NPC deputy.

"I have been staying up until midnight every day recently," Hu said prior to the opening of the two sessions.

Although the native of Sichuan province says coming up with a decent proposal can be "complicated", she has made suggestions to the other deputies.

"If you put your heart in it, (you will succeed,)" the mother of two said.

"But you won't make it if you are not totally focused."

As for the question of whether migrant worker deputies are the only choice to represent the group, the responses I have heard appear to be unanimous: They are the best choice because they know how an ordinary laborer thinks.

Even though schools have been set up in cities for the children of migrant workers and their income and time off is safeguarded by the Labor Contract Law, there are other issues that still prevent migrant workers from enjoying the same rights as their urban brothers and sisters.

And the percentage of their representation is still low.

Jiao Hongchang, a professor at China University of Political Science and Law, said: "It's a good beginning and attempt (to involve migrant workers in NPC sessions)."

(China Daily 03/13/2008 page6)