Guangzhou residents are getting a bigger say in city affairs as the city becomes more democratic.

In December, residents got the chance to tell officials about their problems and expectations at a "landmark “hearing of the Municipal People's Congress.

"The hearing embodied the long-term attempts of the congress to become more effective,'' said Professor Liu Heng, an expert in public administration at Zhongshan University.

The congress arranged the hearing as part of an improvement drive hoping to increase the say of "the masses “in government, said Yang Yuquan, secretary-general of the congress “standing committee.

The meeting was the latest example of the "Guangzhou Phenomenon" revolutionary changes in the city's government.

Li Jiangtao, an expert with the Guangzhou Academy of Social Sciences, said the "phenomenon “was caused by the city's economic development.

The "phenomenon “began in 1998 when the congress set up a system to examine its operations. Eight well-known judges were recruited as consultants to the scheme.

The congress has undergone several major changes since.

In 2002 it started using electronic devices to vote. It was the first city in China to do so.

Last December, residents were asked to take part in a hearing on the city's environmental legislation.

Their views are already affecting policy decisions, experts said.

Citizen representatives, representatives from the municipal people's congress, related government officials and local reporters attended the event.

The latest hearing will have the most "far-reaching'' impact on the congress, said Yang.

(China Daily January 7, 2004)