FEER : A CHINESE PROVINCE HOLDS A QUIET EXPERIMENT IN DEMOCRACY

[Dao Van <daotb@yahoo.com>]

A CHINESE PROVINCE HOLDS A QUIET EXPERIMENT IN DEMOCRACY

HONG KONG-Guangdong province has held the first public hearing at which
ordinary citizens were allowed to voice their views on a proposed piece
of legislation, the Far Eastern Economic Review reports in its September
30 issue to be released tomorrow. 

A REVIEW correspondent was the only member of the foreign media to
attend the September 9 hearing at which members of the public were
invited to voice their views on proposed new laws governing tendering
for building projects.  Provincial Congress Chairman Zhu Senlin opened
the session saying it would play "a significant role in promoting the
country's legislative democratization."

In yet more evidence of steps taken toward granting more popular
participation, the REVIEW says, the province's Communist Party secretary
will publish drafts of important regulations to solicit public views in
an effort to curb corruption.  The provincial people's congress has also
changed the rules for picking top officials.  Once selected by the
party, officials at senior level may now be nominated by 30 or more
deputies. 

Although not advertised, these discreet and cautious changes suggest
that elements of democracy are slowly and deliberately being introduced
in China using a model that, if emulated by other provinces, could
transform the country, the REVIEW notes. 

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