What is China’s NPC deputies? 人大代表

Thousands of deputies to the National People’s Congress are in NPC and CPPCC sessions this week in Beijing. Do you want to know how to pronounce the political term?

全国人大 quánguó réndài is the short term for 全国人民代表大会 (quánguó rénmín dàibiǎo dàhuì) National People’s Congress (NPC). And 代表 dàibiǎo means deputy or representative.
人大代表 réndà dàibiǎo

deputy to the National People’s Congress

___________________________________
The system of people’s congress is an organizational form for the state power in China. It is China’s fundamental political system.

The power in the People’s Republic of China belongs to the people and the organ for the people to exercise state power is the National People’s Congress and local people’s congresses at all levels.

The National People’s Congress is the highest organ of state power. Local people’s congresses are local organs of state power.

____________________________________
The NPC is composed of deputies elected from the provinces, autonomous regions and municipalities directly under the Central Government and deputies elected by the armed forces.

Deputies to the NPC are organized into delegations according to the units they are elected from. Each delegation is headed by a chairman and vice chairmen. All the ethnic minorities are entitled to appropriate representation.

The NPC is elected for a term of five years.

The Standing Committee of the NPC must ensure the completion of election of deputies to the succeeding NPC two months prior to the expiration of the term of office of the current NPC. Should extraordinary circumstances prevent such an election, it may be postponed and the term of office of the current NPC extended by the decision of a vote of more than two-thirds of all those on the Standing Committee of the current NPC. The election of deputies to the succeeding NPC must be completed within one year after the termination of such extraordinary circumstances.

The NPC meets in session once a year and is convened by its Standing Committee.
A session of the NPC may be convened at any time the Standing Committee deems it necessary or when more than one-fifth of the deputies to the NPC so propose.

________________________________________

Functions and Powers
The NPC exercises the following functions and powers:
(1) to amend the Constitution;
The amendment of the Constitution shall be proposed by the Standing Committee of the NPC or more than one-fifth of the deputies to the NPC and can only be adopted by a majority of no less than two-thirds of the deputies to the NPC.
(2) to supervise the enforcement of the Constitution;
(3) to enact and amend basic laws governing criminal offences, civil affairs, the state organs and other matters;
(4) to elect the President and the Vice President of the People’s Republic of China;
(5) to decide on the choice of the Premier of the State Council upon nomination by the President, and on the choice of the Vice Premiers, State Councilors, Ministers in charge of ministries or commissions, the Auditor-General and the Secretary-general of the State Council upon nomination by the Premier;
(6) to elect the Chairman of the Central Military commission and, upon nomination by the Chairman, to decide on the choice of all other members of the Central Military Commission;
(7) to elect the President of the Supreme People’s Court;
(8) to elect the Procurator-General of the Supreme People’s Procuratorate;
(9) to examine and approve the plan for national economic and social development and the report on its implementation;
(10) to examine and approve the state budget and the report on its implementation;
(11) to alter or annul inappropriate decisions of the Standing Committee of the NPC;
(12) to approve the establishment of provinces, autonomous regions, and municipalities directly under the Central Government;
(13) to decide on the establishment of special administrative regions and the systems to be instituted there;
(14) to decide on questions of war and peace;
(15) to exercise such other functions and powers as the highest organ of state power should exercise.
(16) The NPC has the right to remove the following functionaries:
1) The Chairman and Vice Chairman of the People’s Republic of China;
2) The Premier of the State Council, the Vice Premiers, State Councilors, Ministers in charge of the ministries or commissions, the Auditor-General and the Secretary-general of the State Council;
3) The Chairman, Vice Chairman and other members of the Central Military Commission;
4) The President of the Supreme People’s Court;
5) The Procurator-General of the Supreme People’s Procuratorate.

___________________________________________

Deputies to the People’s Congresses
Deputies to the NPC are elected by the people’s congresses of the provinces, autonomous regions and municipalities directly under the Central Government and by the armed forces.

Deputies to the people’s congresses of the provinces, autonomous regions, municipalities directly under the Central Government and cities divided into districts are elected by the people’s congresses at the next lower level.

Deputies to the people’s congresses of counties, cities not divided into districts, municipal districts, townships, ethnic townships and towns are elected directly by the electorates.