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March 15, 2004

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Asian values

The 10 day meeting of China's parliament has come to a successful end.

China ended its annual session of parliament Sunday, with the rubber-stamp congress keeping intact its record of never opposing a government proposal or document for 50 straight years.

The 10-day meeting concluded with 99 percent of the delegates' votes in favour of 13 amendments to China's constitution, some of them landmark changes in the country's socialist system...

Also endorsed, but with a more lukewarm approval rating, was the work over the past year of the country's courts and prosecutors, which lack independence and are plagued by corruption.

The constitutional ammendments included replacing "martial law" with "State of emergency", making "private property inviolable", "the state respects and protects human rights" and the ritual of incorporating Jiang Zemin's Three Represents into the document. Which all means absolutely nothing, because China's constitution has never been successfully used to challenge a law. I'm not sure how the party of Karl Marx can reconcile the "abolition of private property" with "private property is inviolable". Even more interesting was
In a clear sign that retired president Jiang Zemin still retains considerable power and influence, he stuffed his red envelope into the ballot box ahead of President Hu Jintao in a carefully orchestrated ceremony for the television cameras.

As head of the Central Military Commission, the 77-year-old is inferior in rank and should not be voting ahead of a sitting president.

Lest you think the new guys actually run the show. Jiang's Three Represents was incorporated along with various other theories. I'd tell you what it is about but no-one is actually quite sure other than another ideological wheeze to let capitalists into the CCP.

Of course Malaysia knows how to run an election. What the CCP don't seem to realise is faking democracy is an Asian tradition.

 posted by Simon on 03.15.04 at 12:53 PM in the




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Meet the New Boss, Same oa the Old Boss
Excerpt: From China's NPC: In a clear sign that retired president Jiang Zemin still retains considerable power and influence, he stuffed his red envelope into the ballot box ahead of President Hu Jintao in a carefully orchestrated ceremony for the television...
Weblog: The Gweilo Diaries
Tracked: March 15, 2004 01:30 PM


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