CPPCC leaders vow to limit role
THE leadership of the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference (CPPCC) has vowed not to ''go beyond its frame of reference'' in offering suggestions to and supervising the Communist Party and the Government.
The Standing Committee of the Eighth CPPCC, which met for the second plenary session in Beijing yesterday, also indicated the system of top conference deputies retaining senior party or government postings would continue.
However, the leadership also called on members to openly air their views and to ''refrain from suppressing'' the freedom of expression.
Leading CPPCC figures who gave major speeches at the session yesterday included Chairman Mr Li Ruihuan, First Vice-Chairman Mr Ye Xuanping and Vice-Chairman Mr Wu Xueqian, all of whom are members of the party's liberal faction.
Mr Wu, a former vice-premier, made a plea for the creation of a ''democratic and harmonious environment''.
''We must let a lot of people speak out, ensuring that they can say whatever they like,'' Mr Wu said.
''We should allow people to express reservations [about the party line]; refrain from the suppression [of free speech]; and make provisions for differences of opinion.'' Mr Ye, a former governor of Guangdong, said the CPPCC should improve and boost its main function of ''the democratic supervision'' of the party and the Government.
However, the liberal leader hinted that it was far from the role of the conference to challenge the party or executive authorities.
''We should do our best but not go beyond our frame of reference,'' he said. ''We should strengthen the unity of people from various sectors.'' Mr Ye also defended the fact that many senior CPPCC deputies, including politburo member Mr Li, held senior party and government positions.
He indicated the phenomenon of ''cross leadership'' had rendered more efficient the conference's task of giving advice to the authorities.
Analysts said the ''supervisory'' role of the CPPCC had been called into doubt because so many of its key deputies were Communist Party members.
At the meeting, the Standing Committee decided to revise the charter of the conference as well as regulations on its functions of ''political consultation and democratic supervision''.
It also pledged to set up a committee system so that specialised groups of deputies could look at specific issues.
The leadership called upon the 100 or so Hongkong members to promote unity with their compatriots in the interest of ensuring a ''stable and smooth'' transition in 1997.
