China to elect around 360 deputies to 11th NPC from ethnic minority groups

About 360 of around 3,000 deputies to be elected to the 11th National People's Congress (NPC), or China's top legislature, will come from ethnic minority groups, according to a draft plan on the election of the 11th NPC deputies.

This March, the Fifth Session of the 10th NPC adopted a resolution on the election of 11th NPC deputies, which said a maximum of 3,000 deputies to 11th NPC will be elected as of the end of January 2008.

Based on the resolution, the NPC Standing Committee chairman and vice-chairpersons' meeting formed a detailed draft plan on the 11th NPC deputy election. The draft plan was on Tuesday tabled to the NPC Standing Committee for deliberation.

The draft plan also said the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (SAR) will elect 36 deputies to the 11th NPC, Macao SAR will have 12 seats and Taiwan will have 13.

The plan said about 265 deputies will be elected from the People's Liberation Army.

The 10th NPC deputies will end their terms in March 2008.

The NPC is the highest institution through which the Chinese people exercise their state power.

The NPC exercises legislative power, amends the Constitution and supervises its enforcement, formulates and amends basic statutes and other laws; elects and decides on the leading personnel of state-level administrative, judicial, procuratorial and military bodies, and has the right to recall them; supervises government work in accordance with the Constitution and laws; and examines and decides on the fundamental, long-term and key issues of the state.

Source: Xinhua