国内英语新闻:Top legislator stresses congressional deputies' ability

KUNMING, Nov. 25 (Xinhua) -- Top Chinese legislator Zhang Dejiang has urged improving the work of people's congress and people's deputies at the county level.

Zhang, chairman of the National People's Congress (NPC) Standing Committee, made the remarks during his inspection of county-level people's congress work in south China's Yunnan Province between Nov. 22 and 25.

During the trip, Zhang joined residents in a town to hear local people's congress deputies briefing on their jobs. He called for deputies to be trained to improve their work competency and collect grassroots opinions and realities through more diversified channels.H According to Zhang, a contact network should be set up between the standing committees of people's congresses and deputies while local deputies should maintain close ties with the people.

While visiting people's congress offices in several cities and counties, Zhang stressed that the standing committees in such cases must stick to the correct political direction, safeguard the authority of the constitution and the law, improve work style and strive to meet people's expectations.

Calling for theoretical and practical innovations in the system in accordance with the progress of time, the top legislator urged sound direct elections of county-level deputies as well as strengthened supervision work of the people's congress at this level.