The Present Situation, Problem And Countermeasure Of China's Petition System

As one of our country's important systems, petition system plays a key role in expressing citizens'requests and in keeping the connection between the masses and the government. However, with thedevelopment of the society, some problems concerning with the petition system appeared. This paperpays attention to this special category of it—System of Petition by Letters and Visits,and trys tounderstand the pros and cons of Chinese petition system which relates to our current situation, problemsand causes in a rational way, then finds some methods and paths to improve it. This paper is based onletters and visits system itself and differences of meaning interpretation. On this basis, it makesclassification and interpretation of China's present main petition system, explains the petition system inChina history and perfect, describes present petition system's generation and development, and thenanalyzes the reasons for the problems of the current system of letters and visits. In the end, it putsforward some suggestions on improving the Chinese petition system and makes a comparison about thepetition systems related between the mainland of China and overseas Chinese, Hongkong area and themainland of China. This paper argues that current letters and visiting institutions with the "secretary"nature could not meet the needs of the system's development. In order to better its function, we needto empower its independent status and more substantive power, such as the right to investigate the truthof incidents, the right to take all kinds of measures to supervise the right, the right to make suggestionson sues prosecution when government departments' staff malfeasancing duty or abusing power, and soon. Since the petition system's function is to better the connection with the masses, principle ofconvenience is in the meaning of the title of improving the petition system, so it is necessary to buildcivilian agencies, network channels, hotline130, which can fully embody the public service functions.At the same time, the system should be improved in accordance with the law, and laws should be madeby the National People's Congress. Not only the organizations, but also relevant working procedures andthe staff's responsibilities should be regulated. Owing to our joint efforts and its own constantimprovement, the system of letters and visits which plays an important role in history, will truely beable to accomplish its historical mission.