China's parliament must serve Communist Party: official by Staff Writers Beijing (AFP) March 8, 2008 China's top parliamentarian told the ongoing National People's Congress Saturday that it must serve the leadership of the ruling Communist Party and support its policies and government postings.

In his annual work report given at the Great Hall of the People in central Beijing, parliamentary head Wu Bangguo also said he would work to expand "socialist democracy" and the congress' right to supervise the government.

"The NPC must conscientiously uphold the leadership of the Communist Party of China to ensure that the proposals of the party become the will of the state through legally stipulated procedures," Wu said.

The NPC must ensure "that the personnel recommended by party organisations become the leaders of the organs of state power."

Wu was addressing up to 3,000 delegates to the annual 12-day session who are in Beijing to re-elect President Hu Jintao to a second five-year term and to rename Wen Jiabao as prime minister.

Hu will be re-elected on Saturday next week, while Wen will be renamed as premier on Sunday, according to the congress' agenda and sources close to the body. As in most of China's parliamentary elections, only one candidate stands for each position.

Although the names were not revealed, the postings were approved in Communist Party election lists handed over to congress before the current session opened on Wednesday.

Largely viewed as a "rubber stamp parliament," the National People's Congress has never turned down a piece of legislation placed before it.

Still, Wu praised the body for the legislation it has passed over the last five years aimed at imposing the rule of law on the booming economy while further solidifying the Communist Party's control over the political system.

"A key condition to improving the effectiveness and the work of the NPC and raising it to a new level is to ensure that it is subservient to and serves the core tasks of the party," Wu said.

Wu also praised the NPC for passing 100 pieces of legislation over the last five years, including laws on property rights, bankruptcy and antitrust, and a decision to eliminate the agricultural tax, ending a 2,000-year history of farmers paying taxes in China.

Over the last five years, the NPC enshrined party ideology into the constitution through amendment, while also passing an anti-secession law that outlines when China can use force to reunify Taiwan, Wu said.