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China The National People's Congress
In the mid-1980s the NPC acquired heightened prominence. The
NPC is defined in the 1982 Constitution as "the highest organ of
state power" without being identified, as it was in the 1975 state
constitution, as "under the leadership of the Communist Party of
China." In addition, the Constitution states that "all power in the
People's Republic of China belongs to the people." Although the
preamble makes clear that the nation operates "under the leadership
of the Communist Party of China and the guidance of
Marxism-Leninism and Mao Zedong Thought," the trend has been to
enhance the role of the NPC.
The major functions of the NPC are to amend the state
constitution and enact laws; to supervise the enforcement of the
state constitution and the law; to elect the president and the vice
president of the republic; to decide on the choice of premier of
the State Council upon nomination by the president; to elect the
major officials of government; to elect the chairman and other
members of the state Central Military Commission; to elect the
president of the Supreme People's Court and the procurator-general
of the Supreme People's Procuratorate; to examine and approve the
national economic plan, the state budget, and the final state
accounts; to decide on questions of war and peace; and to approve
the establishment of special administrative regions and the
"systems to be instituted there."
The NPC may also remove key government leaders, including the
president and vice president and members of the State Council and
state Central Military Commission. The 1982 State Constitution
established the state Central Military Commission as the key
governmental body charged with "directing the armed forces." While
the party Central Military Commission provided the political
direction for military policy making, the state Central Military
Commission oversaw key military personnel appointments, managed PLA
financial and material resources, developed regulations, and
implemented statutes to provide a more rational and professional
organizational basis for the PLA. The chairman of the state Central
Military Commission--in a departure from earlier practices that put
either the state president or the party chairman in command--was
designated as the commander-in-chief of the armed forces.
The 3,000 members of the NPC meet once a year and serve 5-year
terms. Delegates are elected by the people's congresses at the
provincial level as well as by the PLA. Provincial delegations meet
before each NPC session to discuss agenda items. There were 2,977
deputies at the First Session of the Sixth National People's
Congress held from June 6 to 21, 1983. Because of the infrequent
meetings, the NPC functions through a permanent body, the Standing
Committee, whose members it elects (155 members in 1983). The
Standing Committee's powers were enhanced in 1987 when it was given
the ability to "enact and amend laws with the exception of those
which should be enacted by the NPC," thus giving this body
legislative powers. The Standing Committee presides over sessions
of the NPC and determines the agenda, the routing of legislation,
and nominations for offices. The NPC also has six permanent
committees: one each for minorities, law, finance, foreign affairs,
and overseas Chinese and one for education, science, culture, and
health. Leaders of the NPC Standing Committee are invariably
influential members of the CCP and leaders of major mass
organizations. The Standing Committee has within it a smaller group
that is led by the chairman of the Standing Committee (in 1987 Peng
Zhen) and in 1987 included the vice chairmen and the secretary of
the Standing Committee, comprising a total of twenty-one members.
In addition to the NPC's formal function, the Standing
Committee is responsible, among other things, for conducting the
election of NPC delegates; interpreting the State Constitution and
laws; supervising the work of the executive, the state Central
Military Commission, and judicial organs; deciding on the
appointment and removal of State Council members on the
recommendation of the premier; approving and removing senior
judicial and diplomatic officials; ruling on the ratification and
abrogation of treaties; and deciding on the proclamation of a state
of war when the NPC is not in session.
Although in 1987 the NPC played a greater role than in earlier
years, it did not determine the political course of the country.
This remained the function of the CCP. Rather, the NPC played a
consultative role. Another of its major functions was to serve as
a symbol of the Communist regime's legitimacy and popular base. But
with the emphasis in the mid-1980s on strengthening the democratic
aspects of democratic centralism, the NPC may assume even more
importance in decision making.
Data as of July 1987
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