Deputies give lowest marks in six years to budget and court

Thousands of National People's Congress deputies gave the lowest endorsement in the past six years to government, budget and court reports yesterday - a small sign of progress in the top legislature, analysts say.

Nearly three thousand legislators cast their votes on the government work report, report of the National Development and Reform Commission (NDRC), the budget report, the Supreme People's Court's work report and the Supreme People's Procuratorate's work report, at the Great Hall of the People in Beijing on the closing day of the annual NPC session yesterday.

Delegates have three options: approve, disapprove or abstain

A total of 2,071 negative votes were recorded for the six reports, a rise of almost 30 per cent over 1,612 disapprovals recorded last year and 1,611 in 2008.

All reports bar the one for the procuratorate, or public prosecutor, received the strongest opposition in at least six years. Broken down, the government report received more than 100 negative votes, the NDRC 200, the budget 500 and the court 600.

Zhu Ji , legislator and general manager of CNNC Lanzhou Uranium Enrichment Co, said delegates disapproved of the lack of progress in implementing rule of law. "We all expect the highest court and public prosecutor to do more in pushing ahead with ruling the country in accordance with the law."