Chen Huan, who works for a milk company in Beijing, could not hide her joy after seeing the list of deputies for the 13th municipal people's congress (MPC). "I really didn't expect to be chosen a deputy," she says.
A farmer in a Beijing suburb, Chen left her village years ago and became a migrant worker in the capital. Though the city has millions of such workers, none of them had ever had a say in the local legislative body. But things have changed with this MPC, with two migrant workers being selected as deputies; Chen is one of them.
The deputies read the local government's work report on Sunday, when the first session of the MPC began, and will vote on the city's budget and elect officials, including the mayor, on the last day on Saturday.
Since being elected, Chen carries a notebook to jot down suggestions and complaints of other migrant workers. She will submit a proposal to the MPC to improve the social security for farmers-turned-workers. "Since I've been elected a representative, I have to let people know what we migrant workers want," she says.
Among the 770 deputies to the MPC, about 60 percent are from the grassroots like Chen. Among them are 28 workers and 21 farmers, compared to 10 and 13 in the previous congress five years ago.
The legislature insists on greater participation of professionals such as lawyers and less so of government officials. Figures show the number of lawyer deputies has increased to 6 from 2 in the previous congress, and the number of officials has fallen to 62 from 100. "Such changes will bring us more voices from the people," says Zhang Yue, deputy director of MPC's personnel department.
And this is not something unique to Beijing. Among Shanghai's 860 deputies, the number of prefecture-level or higher officials was 49 less than in the previous congress.
In Southwest China's Chongqing Municipality, migrant workers account for 5.86 percent of the 864 deputies, a first in the city's history. The percentage of officials has dropped by 3.9 percent to 432, says Ai Zhiquan, deputy secretary-general of the Chongqing people's congress standing committee.
Renmin University law professor Han Dayuan says fewer officials in legislatures mean greater access to grassroots deputies, with legislators becoming more representative of the general public. "Deputies from the grassroots level know more about social problems. Their participation will ensure that legislatures take more people-oriented decisions," he says.
Professor Dan Yanzheng of the Southwest University of Political Science and Law says the government wants more deputies from the grassroots level, especially migrant workers, to take a seat in legislatures. "Migrant workers will gradually enjoy as many political rights as other groups," Dan says.
Academics foresee more grassroots level deputies attending the annual session of the National People's Congress (NPC), the country's top legislature, in March. They predict there could be migrant workers' deputies at the national session.
（英语点津 Celene 编辑）
About the broadcaster:
Bernice Chan is a foreign expert at China Daily Website. Originally from Vancouver, Canada, Bernice has written for newspapers and magazines in Hong Kong and most recently worked as a broadcaster for the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation, producing current affairs shows and documentaries.
