Legislators must defend their ground
Deng Chengming, a deputy to the Guangzhou provincial people's congress (or provincial legislature), walked out of a meeting at the Guangzhou Environmental Protection Bureau because some participants disrupted his speech. People's congress members have the right to comment on officials and government organs, says an article in Changjiang Times. Excerpts:
Guangzhou provincial people's congress deputy Deng Chengming started walking out of a meeting after some officials of the provincial environmental protection bureau disrupted his speech, but bureau director Ding Hongdu persuaded him to stay.
Ultimately, Deng walked out before the meeting finished.
Later, the bureau's deputy director went to Deng's home to seek his opinion on the matters that were discussed at the meeting. Deng, however, refused to give any, complaining that there was a "problem with the bureau's work-style. If bureau officials can ill-treat a people's congress deputy, one can imagine what they do to average citizens".
Provincial people's congress deputies do have the responsibility of monitoring officials' behaviors and commenting on them.
Since Deng is committed to his work, he studied the problems carefully and prepared his speech to highlight the problems. This embarrassed the bureau officials, and they prevented him from continuing with his speech.
The incident shows that as a people's congress deputy, Deng took his duties seriously, but lacked the confidence to stand his ground when opposed.
Let alone a people's congress deputy, even an average citizen should have stayed put at the meeting and spoken his mind. But Deng left, and by doing so he lost the upper hand.
Provincial congress deputies should comment on officials and government organs confidently for the sake of public interest. And if their suggestions and criticisms are for the good of the people they should hold their ground, instead of walking away from difficult situations.
(China Daily 11/19/2009 page9)
