Chongqing - Sun Zejun, a deputy to the Chongqing Municipal People’s Congress and director of the Personnel Representative Working Committee of the Standing Committee of the Chongqing Municipal People’s Congress, emphasized the noteworthy reforms initiated by the Standing Committee since 2023 in innovating primary-level people’s congress systems and implementing whole-process people’s democracy at the primary level, during a press conference on January 23.

Enhancing public opinion collection

A new community-level platform for collecting public opinions has been set up in the reform process, expanding channels for implementing whole-process people’s democracy at the grassroots. A democratic suggestion and consultation process will determine deputies for discussions, supported by regular meetings to facilitate democratic decision-making and management systems.

Improvements to the systems of district and county-level people’s congress meetings have been implemented to enhance the efficiency of primary-level people’s congress meetings.

For instance, it will enhance the evaluation frequency from “once a year” to “more than once a year,” tackling issues like underutilization of functions and insufficient effectiveness in decision-making and supervision.

Luo Zehong, a Bishan District People’s Congress deputy, visits primary-level communities. (Photo/cqnews.net)

A groundbreaking initiative introduces an annual public welfare project, allowing deputies to the Chongqing Municipal People’s Congress to vote on projects affecting citizens’ livelihoods, with full coverage at the district and county levelThe government then executes the selected projects with supervision from both the deputies to the Chongqing Municipal People’s Congress and the public.

Votes on 3,347 people’s livelihood projects at primary level

Sun reported successful reforms over the past year. Firstly, this involves establishing residents’ congress systems in 171 sub-districts across 34 districts and counties in Chongqing, resulting in the election of 9,291 deputies with 97 meetings convened by December 2023.

Secondly, the deputy voting system for people’s livelihood projects has been expanded in 18 districts and counties, covering 666 towns and townships, or 84.7% of the city’s towns.

Thirdly, 14 districts and counties have implemented “mid-year meeting systems,” and 156 towns and townships in 36 districts have adopted a “quarterly meeting system.”

As of December 2023, the Chongqing Municipal People’s Congress has yielded results by voting on 128 people’s livelihood projects across 18 districts and counties. The Congress has similarly voted on 3,347 people’s livelihood projects in towns and townships, effectively addressing people’s urgent issues and concerns.

Sun emphasized that the next step for the Chongqing Municipal People’s Congress is accelerating the implementation of key reforms. This involves a continued focus on exploring the street congress deputy meeting system and promoting the rapid implementation of public welfare project deputy voting systems at the district and county levels.