CHINA WILL *NEVER* BE A MULTI-PARTY DEMOCRACY: THUS SPAKE WU BANGGUO

CHINA'S #2

SAYS

* NO *

TO

(MULTI-PARTY)

DEMOCRACY

WU BANGGUO

Photographed at the 17th CCP Congress

Beijing, October 2007

Wu Bangguo is Chair of the Standing Committee of the National People's Congress, which is, officially, China's legislature, and which is holding its annual session in Beijing now.

Parliaments have at some moments in history been known to challenge the power of executive authorities such as kings.

But Wu is also number two in the hierarchy of the ruling Chinese Communist Party (only General-Secretary-and-President Hu Jintao is ranked higher). It comes as no surprise, then, that Wu announced today that "We have made a solemn declaration that we will not employ a system of multiple parties holding office in rotation," as the BBC reported.

No separation of powers, "bicameral or federal system," or diversification of "our guiding thought."

For if the system changed, "It is possible that the state could sink into the abyss of internal disorder."

The Party rules or Chaos looms.

WEN JIABAO, WEBCASTS, WHISTLES, & WASHOUTS: JASMINE SUNDAY #2

JASMINE 

SUNDAY 

#2 

CHINESE PREMIER  

WEN JIABAO 

(Photographed at Harvard) 

(A Beijing photograph is here) 

On Sunday, February 27, 2011, Wen Jiabao, "Grandpa Wen," the smiling face of the leadership of the People's Republic of China, went on line in a big way. On the eve of the annual meeting of the National People's Congress, Premier Wen took questions in a special webcast, and made news: Beijing would not push the economy quite so hard; he was mindful that rapid price rises hurt the people. 

Out on the street, the story was different. For the second Sunday in a row any whiff of jasmine was smothered; any possible protest was washed out -- literally, this time, by street cleaning machines and a water truck -- and whistled away -- by incessant police whistles. 

And journalists -- apparently especially photojournalists and videojournalists -- were harassed and detained and even physically assaulted. 

So there was no protest to speak of or to see -- China was not Tunisia or Egypt -- and the regime seems either prudent or paranoid -- someone in authority still thinking A Single Spark Can Start a Prairie Fire? 

THE NATIONAL PEOPLE'S CONGRESS OPENS IN BEIJING

THE NATIONAL PEOPLE'S 

CONGRESS (NPC) 

OPENS IN BEIJING 

AT THE GREAT HALL 

OF THE PEOPLE 

PREMIER WEN JIABAO (left) 

GIVES THE KEYNOTE ADDRESS; 

NPC CHAIR WU BANGGUO (right) 

PRESIDES 

Wen and Wu Photographed at the Unveiling of 

the Standing Committee of the Politburo of the 

Central Committee of the 17th Congress of 

the Chinese Communist Party, October 2007, 

in the Great Hall of the People, Beijing