National Constitution Day to shore up awareness

BEIJING - Ahead of Thursday's inaugural Constitution Day, Chinese President Xi Jinping has called for more awareness of the Constitution, and better understanding of the role of law.

The Constitution is the fundamental law of the land and provides the general principles to be followed in the governance of the country, Xi said.

Xi was speaking ahead of the country's first national Constitution Day on Dec. 4. The idea was put forward at a Communist Party of China (CPC)meeting in October on the rule of law.

The Constitution of China conforms to the conditions and reality of the country, and is in accordance with the development of the times. It is a guarantee of the socialist path with Chinese characteristics, Xi said, adding the Constitution's authority is paramount.

Xi wants Constitution Day to teach people about the highest law of all, so that the Constitution is fully implemented.

Xi's words were echoed by top legislator Zhang Dejiang who attended a symposium on the Constitution on Wednesday.

Zhang, chairman of the Standing Committee of the National People's Congress, said education is of pressing importance "under the circumstances and in the face of new tasks". Constitution education should be an institutionalized, long-term project, so that the spirit of the Constitution takes root in people's hearts.

The legislator said education should focus on contemporary history and all China has achieved, bearing in mind the development, inevitability and importance of China's Constitution.

Constitution education should be built on the practical achievements of China's current drive to promote rule of law, and underline the supreme authority of the Constitution, closely associated with China's future direction and its development goals, Zhang added.

Zhang said the purpose of the day was to firmly establish the authority of the Constitution and ensure its full implementation. He called on all the authorities to enhance legal consciousness and put the Party's cause, the people's interest, the Constitution and laws first in mind.

He asked the authorities to reorganize the legal system with the focus on the Constitution.

Dec. 4 used to be called the national legal system publicity day. The Constitution was adopted on Dec. 4, 1982.

Lin Laifan with the law school of Tsinghua University, said, "Fully implementing the Constitution is the primary objective and a basic task for building a socialist country under rule of law."

Observing Constitution Day and requiring government officials to pledge their allegiance to the Constitution before taking office are concrete measures to that end. A supervision mechanism is vital to ensure the implementation of the Constitution; violations and lax enforcement should be punished accordingly.