Yu Zhengsheng, chairman of the National Committee of the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference (CPPCC), presides over the closing meeting of the first session of the 12th CPPCC National Committee at the Great Hall of the People in Beijing, capital of China, March 12, 2013. (Xinhua/Li Xueren)
BEIJING -- The newly-elected leader of the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference (CPPCC) pledged Tuesday to promote consultative democracy, saying that it embodies the intrinsic requirements of socialist democracy.
"The CPPCC's consultative democracy takes the Constitution, the CPPCC Charter and relevant policies as its foundation, and the system of multiparty cooperation and political consultation under the leadership of the Communist Party of China (CPC) as its guarantee," said Yu Zhengsheng, chairman of the 12th National Committee of CPPCC, the country's top political advisory body.
"It integrates consultation, oversight, participation and cooperation; closely combines people's rights to stay informed about, participate in, express views on, and oversee government affairs; embodies the intrinsic requirements of socialist democracy; and accords with the fundamental interests of the people," Yu told more than 2,000 political advisors at the closing meeting of the first session of the 12th CPPCC National Committee.
Yu, born in April 1945, was elected to the new post on Monday. He is also member of the Standing Committee of the Political Bureau of the CPC Central Committee.
"We need to plan and carry out the CPPCC's consultative democracy in the context of the overall arrangements for building socialist democracy, adhere to the valuable experience the CPPCC has gained in practicing consultative democracy, strengthen research and exploration into the theory and practice of the CPPCC's consultative democracy, and more quickly build and make innovations in the system of consultative democracy," he said.
Yu said that the 18th CPC National Congress pointed out that socialist consultative democracy is an important form of people's democracy in China, and efforts must be made to improve the system of socialist consultative democracy, and make full use of the CPPCC as an important channel of consultative democracy.
"We need to genuinely make consultation more effective, incorporate political consultation into the decision-making process, steadfastly carry out consultation before and during decision-making, further standardize the content of consultation, make consultation more representative and inclusive, raise our consultative capability, use the fruits of consultation more widely and better feed them back to relevant organizations, and better manifest the strengths and value of socialist consultative democracy," he said.
"We need to thoroughly broaden the forms of consultative democracy; improve consultation on special issues and handling proposals, and with representatives from specific sectors of society and relevant government authorities; make innovations in the way the CPPCC does its normal work; expand the channels for citizens' orderly participation in political affairs; and strive to create a pattern of multilevel, comprehensive consultation," he said.
