On April 19, the Jiangsu
provincial government officially published a draft of Methods on
Implementing Work Injury Insurance Ordinance on its website and in
various local media to solicit public opinion. This is the first
government ordinance released to the public since Jiangsu made it a
rule to take public opinion into account in government
legislation.
According to the public-opinion solicitation statute drawn
recently by the Legislation Affairs Office of the Jiangsu
provincial government, all local bill drafts and provincial
government administrative ordinance drafts shall be publicized
before getting approval from the government. The drafts shall be
released on the government official website and their prints shall
be available for the citizens to take. Drafts of those concerning
principle public interest must be publicized in newspapers and
other mass media.
Citizens can air their views in 20 days after a draft is
publicized. Relevant authorities shall gather the views and discuss
them with the drafting department on whether they should be taken
into consideration. Whatever the result is, there should be reasons
articulated. Regarding popular opinions on some hot issues, a
response must be given to the individuals who have made comments or
suggestions. In addition, the process and result of the
solicitation must be briefed in the report presented for the
draft’s examination and approval.
In the past, local legislation usually held seminars or meetings
for experts and common people separately before they worked out a
new law or regulation. Today, as the social structure in China has
diversified, a bill will not gain full acceptance and support
unless all parties have had their sayings during the process.
“The public view solicitation ordinance will let the public play
bigger roles in local legislation and enhance the transparency and
democracy in local law-making,” said Zhang Yaodong, deputy director
of the Jiangsu Provincial Legislation Affairs Office.
(China.org.cn by Xu Zhiquan, April 23, 2004)