As stipulated in China's Constitution, "All administrative, judicial and procuratorial organs of the state are created and supervised by and accountable to the people's congresses."

Outlook Weekly said in an article in its latest issue that with the progress from not daring to speak up supervision, to putting forward bashful supervision characterized by the "replacement of supervision with support", and then to being basically bold and straight in conducting supervision over law enforcement and exercise of supervision over the work of the central government, the Supreme People's Court and the Supreme People's Procuratorate, the "rubber-stamp" image of the National People's Congress (NPC) and its Standing Committee has disappeared for good.

Strengthened supervision is a salient feature manifested in the work the NPC and its Standing Committee over the past half century. After their formation, previous National People's Congresses and their Standing Committees all outlined the need to conscientiously exercise their functions entrusted by the people and the Constitution and to put the supervision work in a position as important as that of legislative work, they have made unremitting explorations and efforts in regard to supervisory work, and have thus won extensive approval from people of walks of life.

The article said, to date, the NPC has gradually formed and improved eight concrete supervision systems to control powers, protect the fundamental interests of the masses of people and fully carry out the governing idea of "putting people first".

The eight supervision systems include: the system of amending and supervising the Constitution; the system of examining and supervising law enforcement; the system of listening to and reviewing the work reports of the central government, the Supreme People's Court and the Supreme People's Procuratorate; the system of examining and approving the government's plans and budgets; the system of handling appeals, accusations and impeachments; the inquiry and questioning system; the investigation system for specific issues; the system of recalling and dismissing personnel.

With the latest amended Constitution, the concrete supervisory system of the NPC is being perfected day by day, which facilitates its implementation by the people's congresses at various levels and gives a great impetus to the development of people's congresses' supervision work, the article said.

By People's Daily Online