Wu Bangguo (C), chairman of the Standing Committee of China's National People's Congress (NPC), the country's top legislature, addresses the closing ceremony of the 23rd meeting of the 10th NPC Standing Committee at the Great Hall of the People in Beijing, Aug. 27, 2006. (Xinhua Photo)

China's top legislature on Sunday voted to adopt a new law, trying to enable its lawmakers to better supervise the government.

The Supervision Law of Standing Committees of People's Congresses at Various Levels, which would enhance the supervision power of the lawmakers and prevent administrative and judicial bodies from abusing authority, will go into effect on Jan. 1, 2007.

It was passed at the 23rd session of the Standing Committee of the 10th National People's Congress, China's top legislature. The session was concluded here Sunday afternoon.

"The correct implementation of the law must be ensured," said Chinese President Hu Jintao, also General Secretary of the Chinese Communist Party Central Committee, at a meeting with leaders of non-Communist parties, federations of industry and commerce and personages without party affiliation.

The meeting was also attended by Chinese leaders Wu Gangguo, Jia Qinglin and Zeng Qinghong.

Enhancing supervision power of people's congresses and supervision of all respects is a key content of developing Socialist democracy and implementing the basic policy of governing the country by law, Hu said.

The stipulation of the people's congress supervision law must insist on the leadership of the Party as well as on the people as the masters of the state, and stick to governing the country by law.

"The supervision power of people's congresses is endowed by the Constitution," said Hu. The aims of supervision is to ensure the implementation of the Constitution and laws, the fulfillment of administrative, judicial and prosecuting powers, and the legal rights of citizens, corporations and other organizations, he said.

The priorities of the supervision should be issues concerning reform, opening-up and stability and the people's interests, as well as those concerned by the general public.

"Governments, courts and prosecuting organs at all levels must accept the supervision of people's congresses, and the committees of the Party at various levels and Party members must support the supervision," said Hu.

The president also hoped the non-Communist parties, federations of industry and commerce and personages without party affiliation to improve democratic supervision regarding the implementation of the Constitution and laws and regulations.

The legislature began to draft the supervision law as early as in 1987. During the past 20 years, the NPC received 222 motions from 4,044 NPC deputies suggesting the stipulation and promulgation of the law.

The draft law was submitted to the Standing Committee for first read in August 2002 and was finally adopted after four discussions and revisions.

Over recent years, the standing committees of people's congresses at various levels have examined and evaluated some aspects of government's work.

The standing committees of people's congresses at various levels have also evaluated local official's governance performance and pointed out their shortcomings.

Chinese lawmakers will continue to monitor bad behaviors in judicial areas, such as extracting confession through torture, illegally prolonged detention, unaffordable litigation fee and insufficient implementation of court's ruling, according to sources with the top legislature.

China's top legislator Wu Bangguo said the promulgation of the supervision law attaches great importance to improving socialist democracy and socialist legal system, and will enhance people's congress's supervision capability and help promote judicial justice and administration by law.

He said the objective of the supervision work conducted by the people's congresses is to ensure that the Constitution, laws and regulations can be correctly implemented, administrative and judicial power be well exerted, and the legitimate rights of citizens and corporations be safeguarded.

"The country's administrative and judicial organs are elected by people's congresses and supervised by people's congresses. Despite their different functions, the people's congress, administrative bodies and judicial organs should perform their duties independently and concertedly under the leadership of the Communist Party of China," he said.

Wu added that the Standing Committee of the 10th National People's Congress has paid great attention to the improvement of the supervision work by hearing reports from governments and judicial organs and launching law implementation inspections.

In the future, the focus of the supervision work will be on the issues closely related to reform, development, social stability and people's fundamental interests, he said.

Editor: Yan