Beijing: Bracing for a major leadership change next month, the ruling Chinese Communist Party has decided to amend its Constitution for handling "new situations" and "new tasks" while sticking to the reform process initiated by Deng Xiaoping.
The Communist Party of China (CPC) is going to amend the Party Constitution at its upcoming 18th National Congress scheduled for November 8, according to a meeting of the Politburo of the CPC Central Committee today.
The Party will make a draft report to the 18th CPC national congress that complies with the common aspirations of the CPC and people of all ethnic backgrounds, meets the development needs of socialism with Chinese characteristics, and adapts to "new situations" and "new tasks," according to an official statement issued after the meeting chaired by President and CPC General Secretary Hu Jintao.
The whole Party should hold high the banner of socialism with Chinese characteristics, be guided by Deng Xiaoping Theory, the high power Politburo of the party which met here today said ahead of next month`s key Congress convened to select new leadership for the next ten years replacing the present lot headed by Hu.
Party`s decision to amend the Constitution, analysts said was a firm assertion by it to continue with "Deng line" which advocated reformist polices against the hard-line Marxian ideology of Party founder Mao Zedong.
"(The Party should) emancipate the mind, continue reform and opening up, gather strength, overcome difficulties, forge ahead along the socialist path of Chinese characteristics unswervingly and strive for the full establishment of a moderately prosperous society," the official statement was quoted by the state-run Xinhua news agency as saying.
Reports said that different faction leaders are holding parlays to get their candidates selected for key posts at the ten-day Party Congress.
Ahead of the leadership change, the Party officially projected Vice President, Xi Jinping and Vice Premier, Li Keqiang as successors to Hu and Premier Wen Jiabao, the rest of the positions were reported to be up for grabs.
Analysts said the key amendment could be to reduce the number of members in the Standing Committee, which virtually rules the country, from nine to seven to improve coordination among the collective leadership system.
Some analysts in China compare the campaign against disgraced party leader Bo Xilai with that of the crackdown launched by Mao against his successor Deng Xiaoping who opposed the Marxian economics and campaigned for reforms.
Deng who was banished to a tractor factory by Mao managed to stage a comeback after the leader`s death in 1976 and completely changed the economic dynamics of the country.
PTI
