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CHINA
Quanguo Renmin Daibiao Dahui (National People's Congress)

This page contains the full text of the PARLINE database entry on the selected parliamentary chamber, with the exception of Oversight modules which, because of their excessive length, can be only viewed and printed separately.

Modules:
GENERAL INFORMATION ABOUT THE PARLIAMENTARY CHAMBER

Parliament name (generic / translated) Quanguo Renmin Daibiao Dahui / National People's Congress
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Structure of parliament Unicameral
Affiliation to the IPU Yes
Affiliation date(s) 1984 -
LEADERSHIP
President Li Zhanshu (M) 
Notes Elected on 17 March 2018.
Secretary General Yang Zhenwu (M) 
Notes Elected on 17 March 2018.
COMPOSITION
Members (statutory / current number) 3000 / 2980
PERCENTAGE OF WOMEN


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Women (current number) 742 (24.90%)
Mode of designation indirectly elected 3000
Notes Indirectly elected by the provincial people's congresses.
Term 5 years
Last renewal dates 5 March 2018
(View details)
CONTACT INFORMATION
Address National People's Congress
Great Hall of the People
BEIJING 100805
(Export mailing lists)
Phone (8610) 63 09 95 19
Fax (8610) 63 09 79 14
E-mail fab@npc.gov.cn
Website
http://www.npc.gov.cn/

ELECTORAL SYSTEM

Parliament name (generic / translated) Quanguo Renmin Daibiao Dahui / National People's Congress
Structure of parliament Unicameral
LEGAL FRAMEWORK
Electoral law 1 July 1979
Last amendment: 1997
Mode of designation indirectly elected 3000
Constituencies - 23 provinces
- 5 autonomous regions
- 4 municipalities directly under the Central Government
- special administrative regions (Hong Kong; Macau (from 1999))
Voting system Majority: Absolute majority vote.
Deputies are elected by the people's congresses of the country's 23 provinces, five autonomous regions and four municipalities directly under the Central Government, and by the armed forces (PLA), the size of each college of delegates being related to the number of electors in the constituency. The minimum number of Deputies from sparsely-populated provinces and autonomous regions is 15. Since 1997, the Special Administrative Region of Hong Kong also elects Deputies; these currently number 36.
National People's Congress (NPC) Deputies are elected from multi-candidate constituencies, i.e. there are more candidates than seats. All candidates are nominated through a process of democratic consultation from bottom up and top down.
Candidates are elected by absolute majority vote within their respective electoral units. If the candidates obtaining such majority vote exceed in number the Deputies to be elected, these obtaining the most votes are considered elected; if less, another election is held and those obtaining the most votes (but no less than one-third of the votes casts) are elected. The allocation of the number of Deputies to the NPC- which may not exceed 3'000 - is decided by its Standing Committee in accordance with the principle that the number of citizens represented by each rural Deputy is four times that represented by each urban Deputy (880,000 people to 220,000). The number of Deputies elected by minority nationalities - which, according to the Constitution, are all entitled to appropriate representation - is also allocated by the Standing Committee, in light of the population and distribution of each nationality; they are chosen by the respective people's congresses and their number totals
approximately 12% of that of the NPC. Nationalities with exceptionally small populations have at least one Deputy.
Vacancies which arise between general elections are filled through by-elections.
Voter requirements - age: 18 years
- Chinese citizenship
- disqualifications: insanity, deprivation of political rights according to the law
CANDIDATES
Eligibility Qualified electors
- age: 18 years
- Chinese citizenship
- ineligibility: insanity, deprivation of political rights according to the law
Incompatibilities (data unavailable)
Candidacy requirements - candidates may be nominated by a political party and/or various people's organizations (acting either jointly or separately) or a group of at least 10 Deputies of the same constituency

LAST ELECTIONS

Parliament name (generic / translated) Quanguo Renmin Daibiao Dahui / National People's Congress
Structure of parliament Unicameral
BACKGROUND
Dates of election / renewal (from/to) 5 March 2018
Timing and scope of renewal Renewal of the entire membership of the National People's Congress on the normal expiry of the members' term of office.
Not applicable (indirect elections)
STATISTICS
Voter turnout
Distribution of votes
Distribution of seats
Distribution of seats according to sex
Men

Women

Percent of women
2'238

742

24.90%
Distribution of seats according to age
Distribution of seats according to profession
Comments
Sources:
National People's Congress (07.03.2018)
http://www.npc.gov.cn/englishnpc/Special_13_1/2018-03/04/content_2041132.htm

PRESIDENCY OF THE PARLIAMENTARY CHAMBER

Parliament name (generic / translated) Quanguo Renmin Daibiao Dahui / National People's Congress
Structure of parliament Unicameral
APPOINTMENT AND TERM OF OFFICE
Title Chairman of the Standing Committee of the NPC
Term - duration: 5 years (term of House); elected on 16/3/1998
- reasons for interruption of the term: resignation, removal, death
Appointment - elected by all Members of the National People's Congress
- the election is held at the first session of the newly elected Congress
- following validation of mandates
Eligibility - candidates are nominated by the Presidium after deliberation and consultation with the delegations
Voting system - formal vote by secret ballot
- a simple majority is required
- a second round may be held if no candidates wins a majority in the first round

Procedures/ results :

- the Presidium presides over the Congress during the voting
- the tellers chosen from among the delegations supervise the voting
- the Executive Chairman of the session announces the results without delay
- the results cannot be challenged
Procedures / results - the Presidium presides over the Congress during the voting
- the tellers chosen from among the delegations supervise the voting
- the Executive Chairman of the session announces the results without delay
- the results cannot be challenged
STATUS
Status - may temporarily act as Head of State
- represents the Congress with the authorities
- represents the Congress in international bodies
- in the absence of the Chairman, a Vice-Chairman chosen by the Standing Committee of the National People's Congress can assume his/her role and functions
Board - the Presidium is regulated by the Standing Orders
- consists of a Chairman, Vice-Chairmen and the Secretary General
- constitutes a true collegiate presidency
Material facilities - allowance
+ expense allowance
- official residence
- official car
- secretariat
- additional staff
FUNCTIONS
Organization of parliamentary business - convenes sessions
- establishes and modifies the agenda
- organizes the debates and sets speaking time
- examines the admissibility of bills and amendments
- refers texts to a committee for study
- may examine the admissibility of requests for setting up committees of enquiry if the Standing Committee deems it necessary
Chairing of public sittings - can open, adjourn and close sittings
- ensures respect for provisions of the Constitution and Standing Orders
- takes disciplinary measures in the event of disturbance, and lifts such measures
- calls for a vote, decides how it is to be carried out, verifies the voting procedure and cancels a vote in the event of irregularities
- checks the quorum
Special powers It is the General Office of the NPC Standing Committee which:
- establishes the budget of the Congress
- recruits, assigns and promotes staff
- organizes the services of the Congress
- plays a specific role in the conduct of foreign policy or defence matters
- is responsible for relations with foreign Parliaments
- is responsible for safety, and in this capacity, can call the police in the event of disturbance in the Congress
Speaking and voting rights, other functions - takes the floor in legislative debates
- provides guidelines for the interpretation or completion of the text under discussion
- takes part in voting
- can propose bills or amendments with other Deputies
- intervenes in the parliamentary oversight procedure
- ensures the constitutionality of laws

This page was last updated on 19 March 2018
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