THE Communist Party leadership has taken steps to promote a limited degree of checks and balances in the political system.
Under a timetable mapped out by the Politburo Standing Committee early this year, the National People's Congress (NPC) will be gradually given more power to 'supervise' the performance of party and government organs.
This, however, will only start at the regional level, particularly in coastal areas with higher income and educational levels.
The Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference is also expected to play a larger role as a sounding board for non-communist organisations.
Such reforms are supposed to 'strengthen and improve', not weaken party leadership.
Coastal administrations have unveiled steps to enshrine the principle of 'legislative supervision'. The semi-official China News Service reported yesterday the Guangdong Government had promulgated a code of practice to handle suggestions and criticisms from the provincial legislature and consultative conference.
The code indicates how the suggestions will be handled, including the time-frame in which queries from the legislators and consultants must be answered.
