Beijing's largely symbolic advisory body is seeking to lose its 'political vase', or ornamental, image and wield real power.
Delegates to the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference, which convened its annual two-week session in Beijing on Monday, voiced their frustration at the lack of a power-sharing mechanism.
Zhang Yunling , a CPPCC delegate who is also a professor of international relations at the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences, said the top advisory body should be more than a place for elders to grumble. 'We've talked enough on the sidelines and made more than enough consultative suggestions,' Professor Zhang said.
Some of the bills submitted to the central government for consideration were not taken seriously and a one-sentence reply from low-ranking cadres was not unusual, he said.
Under the constitution, the CPPCC is intended to provide feedback to the central government.
Professor Zhang said it was about time for 'greater political participation - not just in the advisory but also the decision-making process'.
A good way to start would be to rename the so-called 'democratic parties' as 'power-sharing parties', he suggested.
