China’s nearly 3,000 law makers are set to vote on Sunday, on proposed changes to the constitution, which will allow President Xi Jinping to serve indefinitely.
The delegates to the National People’s Congress (NPC), China’s Parliament, will cast their ballots on the constitutional amendments, which also include enshrining Mr. Xi’s “thought” in the national basic law.
Foregone conclusion
Though the passage of the constitutional amendment through a mandatory two-thirds majority is a foregone conclusion, the leadership of the Communist Party of the China (CPC), would try and avoid any show of serious dissent to the move.
The Hong Kong-based South China Morning Post has quoted analysts as saying that the Chinese leadership wanted a more affirmative support from the Congress on Sunday, compared to the endorsement of the constitutional amendments on two previous amendments in 1999 and 2004.
In 1999, out of the around 2,860 delegates, only 21 voted against and 24 abstained from the amendment to endorse the late paramount leader Deng Xiaoping’s “theory” in the national Constitution. The number of dissenters dropped to 10, when, five years later, 2,890 delegates voted on former President Jiang Zemin’s “theory of the three represents”.
The “Xi Jinping Thought on Socialism with Chinese Characteristics for a New Era”, which will also be voted was flagged by the President in October during the course of the 19th Party Congress.
The leaders of the CPC are lobbying hard with the delegates to ensure a resounding vote for changes in China’s basic law.
Party line
“If there is dissent, it will not be important, but it will be noticed. Everyone who is involved is under a lot of pressure to support the party line,” says Beijing-based political commentator, Einar Tangen, in a conversation with The Hindu .
He added: “The main takeaway will be that this would become another major inflection point in modern China’s development. Like Deng Xiaoping, Mr. Xi sees a need to correct China’s systems and path. It is likely he will centralise power during his period and then decentralise it before retiring.”
Strategic goals
During the course of the NPC session, which will end on March 20, China’s top leaders have been meeting provincial delegates, for support for the amendments. President Xi has held talks with the delegation from the Guangdong province, the industrial heart of China.
His six other high ranking colleagues — all part of the standing committee of the Politburo — have also been visiting other provincial delegations, seeking support for a yes vote.
Analysts say President Xi, already the General Secretary of the CPC and the head of the Central Military Commission, is expected to utilise the consolidation of power to help achieve two well defined strategic goals.
China hopes to become a “moderately prosperous” country by 2020, the stepping stone for becoming an advanced socialist nation by 2050.
Voting will begin on Sunday afternoon. Delegates will express their choice on a ballot paper, written in Chinese as well as seven ethnic minority languages, including Mongolian, Tibetan, Uygur, Kazakh and Korean.
