Rules of Procedure of the Shenzhen Municipal People' s Congress

(Adopted at the Third Meeting of the First Shenzhen Municipal People' s Congress on April 26, 1992. Revised  for the first time in accordance with the decision on amending the Rules of Procedure of the Shenzhen Municipal People' s Congress at the Fifth Meeting of the First Shenzhen Municipal People' s Congress on April 26, 1993. Revised for the second time in accordance with the decision on amending the Rules of Procedure of the Shenzhen Municipal People' s Congress at the fourth Meeting of the second Shenzhen Municipal People' s Congress on November14,1997.)

Chapter 1  General Provisions

Article 1 These rules are enacted in accordance with the Constitution of the People' s Republic of China, the Organic Law of the People' s Republic of China on the People' s Congress and People' s Governments at All Local Levels and the Law of the People' s Republic of China on the Deputies to the National People' s Congress and People' s Congress at All Local Levels.

Article 2 The Municipal People' s Congress shall fully carry forward democracy and apply the principle of democratic centralism while holding meetings.

Chapter 2  Convening Meetings

Article 3 The Municipal People' s Congress shall meet in session at least once every year. The regular meeting of every year shall be held before the end of March in general; it may be properly shifted earlier or postponed under special circumstances.

When the Standing Committee of the Municipal People' s Congress deems it necessary, or upon a proposal by at least one fifth of the deputies to the Municipal People's Congress, a temporary meeting of the Municipal People's Congress may be convened.

Article 4 The meeting of the Municipal People's Congress shall be convened by the Standing Committee of the Municipal People' s Congress. The first meeting of each session of the Municipal People's Congress shall be convened by the Standing Committee of the previous Municipal People's Congress within two months, after the election of deputies to the current Municipal People's Congress finishes.

Article 5 The Standing Committee of the Municipal People's Congress shall notify the deputies of the date of meeting and of the main items proposed to be deliberated at the meeting twenty days before the Municipal People's Congress holds the meeting.

Deputies may be notified temporarily, if the Municipal People's Congress holds a temporary meeting.

Article 6 A meeting of the Municipal People's Congress shall not be held until more than two third of its deputies are present.

When the Municipal People's Congress holds a meeting, its deputies shall attend the meeting. If a deputy can' t attend the meeting for illness or other special reasons, he shall ask the meeting of directors of the Standing Committee of the Municipal People' s Congress for absence. If a deputy asks for leave for reasons during the meeting, he shall ask the head of his delegation for leave, and the head of his delegation shall report it to the Secretariat of the meeting for record.

Article 7 The Standing Committee of the Municipal People's Congress shall, before a meeting of the Municipal People's Congress is held, conduct the following preparatory work for the meeting:

(1) To draw up draft agenda and schedule of the meeting;

(2) To draw up name list draft of the Presidium and the Secretary-General;

(3) To draw up draft name list of the permanent chairmen and the executive chairmen of the Presidium assigned to groups;

(4) To draw up draft name list of the Vice Secretary-General;

(5) To draw up draft name list of members of related committees of the meeting;

(6) To decide on the name list of non-voting participants; and

(7) To make other preparations for the meeting.

Article 8 Before a meeting of the Municipal People's Congress is held, deputies shall be grouped into delegations based on the districts. The head and deputy-heads of a delegation shall be elected at a plenary meeting of the delegation. Each delegation may be subdivided into groups of deputies. The convener of a group shall be elected at a group meeting of deputies.

Before a meeting of the Municipal People's Congress is held, delegations shall discuss the draft name list of the Presidium and the Secretary-General, the draft agenda and other preparation work for the meeting proposed by the Standing Committee of the Municipal People's Congress.

  Delegations shall deliberate proposals and discuss related matters of the meeting at their plenary meetings or their group meetings.

Article 9 Functions and duties of the head of a delegation are as follows:

(1)    To convene and preside over a plenary meeting of the delegation;

(2)    To organize the delegation to deliberate proposals and related reports of the meeting;

(3)    To submit deliberation opinions of the delegation on proposals and related reports;

(4)    To guide addressing questions and inquiring at meetings of the delegation;

(5)    To implement decisions of the meeting of the Presidium and transmit related matters;

(6)    To handle other work of the delegation.

The deputy-heads shall assist in the work of the head of the delegation.

Article 10 Preparatory meeting shall be held for every meeting of the Municipal People's Congress. The preparatory meeting shall be presided over by the Standing Committee of the Municipal People's Congress. The preparatory meeting for the first meeting of each Municipal People's Congress shall be presided over by the Standing Committee of the previous Municipal People's Congress.

The main agenda of the preparatory meeting is to elect the Presidium and the Secretary-General of this meeting and adopt decisions on the meeting agenda and other related matters.

The draft name list for election, the draft agenda and other drafts submitted to the preparatory meeting of the Municipal People's Congress shall be put forward by the Standing Committee of the Municipal People's Congress. The draft name list for election, the draft agenda and other drafts submitted to the preparatory meeting of the first meeting of each Municipal People's Congress shall be put forward by the Standing Committee of the previous Municipal People's Congress, and referred to delegations for deliberation. The meeting of directors of the Standing Committee of the Municipal People 's Congress may, based on the opinions of all delegations, put forward opinions on adjustments of related drafts, and refer them to the preparatory meeting for discussion.

The election of members of the Presidium and the Secretary-General at the preparatory meeting may adopt equal-number election system, and the voting may be conducted by raising hands or other methods.

The election and voting matters shall be adopted, if a simple majority of all the deputies to the Municipal People's Congress vote for.

Article 11 The number of members of the Presidium of each meeting of the Municipal People's Congress shall be ten percent to fifteen percent of the total number of the deputies to it.

Article 12 Functions and duties of the Presidium are as follows:

(1)    To preside over the plenary meeting of the Municipal People's Congress;

(2)    To lead works of all committees of the Municipal People's Congress;

(3)    To raise proposals and various draft resolutions to the meeting;

(4)    To organize to deliberate proposals and related reports listed on the agenda of the meeting;

(5)    To put forward the candidates for leading persons of the municipal state organs who shall be elected at the meeting of the Municipal People's Congress;

(6)    To preside over the election at the meeting and propose draft of specific measures for the election;

(7)    To decide on the procedure of deliberating proposals, removal proposals and inquiry proposals and handling opinions;

(8)    To release proclamations;

(9)    Other matters requiring decisions by the Presidium.  

The meeting of the Presidium shall not be held until more than two thirds of all its members are present.

A decision of the Presidium shall not be adopted until a simple majority of all members vote for. 

Article 13 The meeting of the Presidium shall be convened and presided over by the permanent chairmen of the Presidium.

The first  meeting of the Presidium shall be convened by the director of the Standing Committee of the Municipal People' s Congress. The first  meeting of the Presidium of the first meeting of each Municipal People' s Congress shall be convened by the director of the Standing Committee of the previous Municipal People's Congress. If the director can' t attend the meeting for reasons, the Director shall entrust a vice-director to convene the meeting. The first meeting of the Presidium shall elect several permanent chairmen of the Presidium. The number of the permanent chairmen of the Presidium shall be one fifth to one third of the total number of all members of the Presidium in general.

The following matters shall be decided at the first meeting of the Presidium:

(1)    Candidates of the vice secretary-generals;

(2)    The schedule of the meeting;

(3)    Measures for vote of proposals and adoption of resolutions and decisions;

(4)    The closing day for raising proposals;

(5)    The name list of the executive chairmen of each plenary meeting;

(6)    Other matters requiring decisions .

Article 14 If the Presidium deems it necessary, the duration of the meeting may be shortened or prolonged.

Article 15 Functions and duties of the permanent chairmen are as follows:

(1)    To convene and preside over the meeting of the Presidium;

(2)    To put forward suggestions to the Presidium within the scope of the functions and powers of the Presidium;

(3) To make necessary adjustments on the schedule of the meetings in accordance with the progress of the meeting;

(4) To convene the meeting of heads of delegations if necessary, listen to deliberation opinions of delegations on major issues of proposals and related reports and discuss them;

(5) To handle other matters within the scope of the functions and powers of the Presidium in accordance with the authorization of the Presidium.

Article 16 The Secretariat composed of a Secretary-General and several Deputy Secretaries-Generals shall be set up for the meeting of the Municipal People's Congress.

  The Secretariat shall, under the direction of the Secretary-General, handle matters assigned by the Presidium and the daily affairs of the meeting. The Deputy Secretaries-Generals shall assist the Secretary-General in his work. The Secretariat may set up certain working offices.

  Article 17 Visitors' seats may be provided at the plenary meetings of the Municipal People' s Congress. Measures for visiting the meeting shall be stipulated separately by the Standing Committee of the Municipal People' s Congress.

News briefings and press conferences may be held for the meeting of the Municipal People' s Congress.

Chapter 3  Raising and Deliberating Proposals

Article18 When the Municipal People' s Congress is in session, the Presidium, the Standing Committee of the Municipal People' s Congress, any special committee of the Municipal People' s Congress, or the Municipal People' s Government may raise to the Municipal People' s Congress the proposal, which is subject to the Municipal People' s Congress. The Presidium shall put the proposal on the meeting agenda.

Ten or more deputies to the Municipal People' s Congress may raise to the Municipal People' s Congress the proposal, which is subject to the Municipal People' s Congress. The Presidium shall decide whether to put the proposal on the meeting agenda, or to refer it to the committee of examining proposals for review, which shall put forward opinions on whether to put the proposal on the meeting agenda, the Presidium shall then decide whether to put the proposal on the meeting agenda.

 With regard to proposals that have been put on the agenda of a meeting, the sponsors, the related committees of the Municipal People' s Congress and the related working offices of the Standing Committee of the Municipal People' s Congress shall provide the explanations and materials.

Article19 The Municipal People' s Congress may, if necessary, establish special committees such as the Legal Affairs Committee, the Finance and Economic Committee and the Committee for Education, Science, Culture and Public Health, etc. All special committees shall be directed by the Municipal People' s Congress, and directed by the Standing Committee of the Municipal People' s Congress, when the Municipal People' s Congress is not in session.

Candidates for Directors, Deputy-Directors and members of all special committees shall be nominated from deputies by the Presidium, and adopted by the Municipal People' s Congress. When the Municipal People' s Congress is not in session, its Standing Committee may additionally appoint certain Deputy-Directors and partial members, who shall be nominated from deputies by the meeting of directors and adopted at the meeting of its Standing Committee.

If necessary, the Examining Committee for Plan, Finance and Economy, the Committee for Legal Proposals and the Proposal Examining Committee may be established to perform their respective functions and duties in the session under the direction of the Presidium and in accordance with the provisions of laws and these rules, before special committees are established. Candidates for these committees shall be nominated from deputies of this session by the Standing Committee of the Municipal People' s Congress and submitted to the preparatory meeting for adoption.

Article 20 When the Proposal Examining Committee examines the proposals raised by deputies jointly, it may, if necessary, invite deputies raising the proposals to participate and hear their opinions. The Proposal Examining Committee shall report examination opinions on proposals to the Presidium in written. The report shall be printed and distributed to deputies by the Secretariat, after it passes the deliberation of the Presidium.

The Presidium shall deliberate the examination opinions submitted by related committees of the Municipal People' s Congress, and decide whether to put related proposals on the meeting agenda. The Secretariat shall print and distribute the decisions adopted by the Presidium to deputies.

If a sponsor has objection to the report of the Proposal Examining Committee adopted by the Presidium, he may submit the request of review to the Presidium in written. The Presidium shall review and make corresponding decision; or it may authorize the Standing Committee of the Municipal People' s Congress to discuss at the first meeting after this meeting, make corresponding decision and give a reply to the sponsor.

Article 21 The Presidium shall submit the proposals put on the agenda of the meeting to all delegations for deliberation, and may submit them to related committees for to review and put forward report. The Presidium shall deliberate the report and decide whether to submit the proposals to the plenary meeting for vote and decision.      The deliberation on the proposal put on the meeting agenda shall be terminated upon approval of the Presidium at the withdrawal request of the sponsor before vote.

Article 22 After the plenary meeting hears the explanation on the proposal of regulations put on the agenda of the meeting, all delegations and the Committee for Legal Proposals (the Legal Affairs Committee) shall deliberate it. The Committee for Legal Proposals (the Legal Affairs Committee) shall, in accordance with the deliberation opinions of all delegations, make uniform review on the proposal of regulations, and submit to the Presidium the report of the review result and the amended draft regulations. After they are adopted at the meeting of the Presidium, it shall print and distribute them to the meeting and submit the amended draft regulations to the plenary meeting for vote.

Article 23 If important issues are raised during deliberations on a proposal put on the agenda of a meeting and call for further study, upon the decision by a plenary meeting on a proposal made by the Presidium, the Standing Committee of the Municipal People' s Congress may be authorized to deliberate on it and make the decision after this meeting, after which it shall either report it to the next meeting of the Municipal People' s Congress for the record or refer the proposal to the next meeting of the Municipal People' s Congress for deliberation.

Article 24 If proposals which the meeting of the Municipal People' s Congress makes decisions on need to be handled by the related organs or organizations after this meeting, the Standing Committee of the Municipal People' s Congress shall be responsible to refer them to the related organs or organizations to handle in time. The related organs or organizations shall submit the report on conditions of handling proposals to the Standing Committee of the Municipal People' s Congress within three months from the referring date or within six months at the latest. The Standing Committee of the Municipal People' s Congress shall be responsible to supervise and urge the related organs or organizations to handle carefully, and make a report on conditions of handling proposals to the next meeting of the Municipal People' s Congress.      

  The proposals, which are raised by deputies jointly, and are not put on the meeting agenda upon the decision of the Presidium, shall be treated as the suggestions, criticisms and opinions of the deputies.

Article 25 If the suggestions, criticisms and opinions put forward by deputies to the Municipal People' s Congress concerning any sphere of work can be handled at the meeting, they shall be referred by the Secretariat of the meeting to the related organs or organizations, which shall handle them and give replies to deputies. If they can not be handled at the meeting, they shall be referred by the working office of the Standing Committee of the Municipal People' s Congress to the related organs or organizations after the meeting, which shall study, handle them and give written replies to deputies and send copies to referring organ within three months from the referring date or within six months at the latest. If deputies are not satisfied with the replies, they may raise their opinions, which shall be referred by the working office of the Standing Committee of the Municipal People' s Congress to the related organs or organizations to study, handle anew and give replies within two months.

Chapter 4  Deliberating Work Reports and Examining the Municipal Plan for National Economic and Social Development and Financial Budget

Article 26 When the Municipal People' s Congress is in session each year, the Standing Committee of the Municipal People' s Congress, the Municipal People' s Government, the Municipal Intermediate People' s Court and the Municipal People' s Procuratorate shall submit work reports to the meeting.

 The Municipal People' s Government, the Municipal Intermediate People' s Court and the Municipal People' s Procuratorate shall submit work reports to the General Office of the Standing Committee of the Municipal People' s Congress fifteen days before the meeting is held.

Article 27 The plenary meeting of the Municipal People' s Congress shall make corresponding resolutions on the work reports of the Standing Committee of the Municipal People' s Congress, the Municipal People' s Government, the Municipal Intermediate People' s Court and the Municipal People' s Procuratorate, after they are heard by the Municipal People' s Congress and deliberated by all delegations.

Article 28 When the Municipal People' s Congress is in session each year, the Municipal People' s Government shall submit to the meeting the report on the draft plan for national economic and social development of this year and the implementation of the plan of the previous year, and the report on the municipal budget of this year and the implementation of the municipal budget of the previous year.

The measures for the examination and approval of the reports mentioned in the above paragraph at the meeting of the Municipal People' s Congress shall be stipulated separately by the Municipal People' s Congress.

Article 29 When all delegations or the Presidium deliberates a work report, the leading person of the related organ shall attend the meeting to hear opinions, answer inquires and make supplementary explanations on the related work report.

Chapter 5  Election, Resignation and Removal

  Article 30 The Presidium or more than twenty deputies to the Municipal People' s Congress jointly in written may propose candidates for members of the Standing Committee of the Municipal People' s Congress, leading persons of the Municipal People' s Government, the President of the Municipal Intermediate People' s Court and the Procurator-General of the Municipal People' s Procuratorate. Deputies elected by different electoral districts and electoral units may jointly discuss and propose candidates.

The number of candidates nominated by the Presidium or the number of candidates nominated by deputies jointly shall not exceed the number of candidates to be elected.

Article 31 Political parties and mass organizations may jointly or separately, or ten or more than ten deputies to the Municipal People' s Congress may jointly propose candidates to be elected by this city as deputies to the People' s Congress of Guangdong Province.

Article 32 When leading persons of the municipal state organs or deputies to the People' s Congress of Guangdong Province shall be elected by the Municipal People' s Congress at expiration of office terms, the time for nomination of candidates shall not be less than two days. 

Article 33 Nominators of candidates shall provide the Presidium with basic information of the candidates and give necessary explanations to questions raised by deputies. The Secretariat of the meeting shall print and distribute the information of the candidates to deputies. Formal candidates shall be determined by the Presidium in accordance with laws. The Secretariat of the meeting shall arrange contacts of candidates with deputies upon the decision of the Presidium.

Article 34 The draft measure on elections at the meeting of the Municipal People' s Congress shall be proposed to the meeting by the Presidium of each meeting, and submitted to the plenary meeting for adoption by the Presidium after deliberations of all delegations.
Article 35 Any member of the Standing Committee of the Municipal People' s Congress, the Mayor, the Vice-Mayor, the President of the Municipal Intermediate People' s Court or the Procurator-General of the Municipal People' s Procuratorate may tender his resignation to the Municipal People' s Congress. The Presidium shall putt forward resignation to the delegations for deliberation, and submit it to the plenary meeting of the Municipal People' s Congress for decision. If a resignation is tendered when the Municipal People' s Congress is not in session, the meeting of directors of the Standing Committee of the Municipal People' s Congress shall submit the resignation to the Standing Committee of the Municipal People' s Congress for deliberation and decision. If the Standing Committee of the Municipal People' s Congress accepts the resignation, it shall refer the resignation to the Municipal People's Congress for record.

Article 36 When the Municipal People' s Congress is in session, the Presidium, the Standing Committee of the Municipal People' s Congress, or more than one tenth of all deputies to the Municipal People' s Congress jointly may submit proposal of removing the member of the Standing Committee of the Municipal People' s Congress, the Mayor, the Vice-Mayor, the President of the Municipal Intermediate People' s Court or the Procurator-General of the Municipal People' s Procuratorate. The Presidium shall refer the proposal to all delegations for deliberation, and then refer the proposal to the plenary meeting of the Municipal People' s Congress for decision. Or the plenary meeting of the Municipal People' s Congress may decide to organize an investigation committee to carry out investigation pursuant to the suggestion of the Presidium, and the proposal of removal shall be deliberated at the next meeting of the Municipal People' s Congress according to the report of the investigation committee.

 The reasons for a proposal of removal shall be stated in written and the relevant information shall be provided. The written reasons and the relevant information shall be printed and distributed by the Secretariat to the meeting upon the decision of the Presidium. 

 Before a proposal of removal is put for vote at the plenary meeting of the Municipal People' s Congress, the person proposed to be removed may defend himself at the meeting of the Presidium or the plenary meeting of the Municipal People' s Congress, or present a written statement in his defense, which shall be printed and distributed by the Presidium to the meeting.

Article 37 After the meeting of the Municipal People' s Congress adopts the election, removal or resignation of the Procurator-General of the Municipal People' s Procuratorate, it shall be reported to the Procurator-General of the People' s Procuratorate of Guangdong Province, who shall refer it to the Standing Committee of the People' s Congress of Guangdong Province for approval.

Chapter 6  Addressing Questions

Article 38 When the Municipal People' s Congress is in session, more than ten deputies may jointly submit written proposal for addressing questions to the Municipal People' s Government, any working department of the Municipal People' s Government, the Municipal Intermediate People' s Court or the Municipal People' s Procuratorate, which shall be responsible to give answers at the meeting.

  Article 39 The questions addressed in proposals shall be the questions:

(1) Concerning the implementation of the Constitution, law, administrative regulations, or local regulations or rules;

(2) Concerning the implementation of national guiding principles or policies;

(3) Concerning the carry-out of resolution or decision of the People' s Congresses or their Standing Committees of higher level or this level;

(4) Concerning major decision or work;

(5) Concerning major breach of duty or dereliction of duty;or

(6) Concerning other matters, to which questions are necessary to be addressed.

Article 40 The object, questions and contents shall be clearly stated in a proposal for addressing questions.

Article 41 The method of giving answers to the questions addressed in a proposal shall be decided by Presidium. The head of the organ, to which questions are addressed, may give oral answers at the plenary meeting of the Municipal People' s Congress, the meeting of the Presidium, the meeting of the related special committee or the meeting of a delegation, or give written answers. If the answers are to be given at the meeting of the Presidium or a special committee, the deputies who addressed the questions shall have the right to attend the meeting to express their opinions. If the Presidium deems it necessary, the Presidium may print the proposal for addressing questions and the answers and distribute them to the meeting, and make corresponding decision. 

If answers are given in written form, the head of the organ, to which questions are addressed, shall sign. The Presidium shall decide the distribution scope of the printed answers.

Article 42 If more than half deputies, who raised the proposal for addressing questions, are unsatisfied with the answers of the organ, to which questions are addressed, they may request the organ to give answers again.

Article 43 The proposal for addressing questions shall be canceled at the withdrawal request of the deputies who raised the proposal for addressing questions, before the organ, to which questions are addressed, give answers.

Chapter 7  Investigation Committees

Article 44 The Municipal People' s Congress may, when it deems it necessary, organize committees for the investigation of specific issues.

The Presidium, or one tenth or more of the deputies jointly may put forward a proposal of organizing committees for the investigation of specific issues. The proposal shall be submitted by the Presidium to the plenary meeting of the Municipal People' s Congress for decision.

  Article 45 An investigation committee shall be composed of a chairman and a certain number of vice-chairmen and members, who shall be nominated by the Presidium from the deputies and approved by the plenary meeting of the Municipal People' s Congress.

An investigation committee may invite specialists to participate in its investigations.

Article 46 When an investigation committee conducts investigations, all related state organs, public organizations and citizens shall be obliged to truthfully provide necessary information to it. The investigation committee shall keep the sources of information confidential.

The investigation committee may, in the course of its investigation, choose not to make public the information or materials obtained through investigation.

Article 47 An investigation committee shall submit an investigation report to the Municipal People' s Congress. The Municipal People' s Congress may make corresponding decisions based on the report of the investigation committee.

  The Municipal People' s Congress may authorize the Standing Committee of the Municipal People' s Congress to hear the investigation report of an investigation committee and make corresponding decisions, when the Municipal People' s Congress is not in session. The Standing Committee of the Municipal People' s Congress shall report to the next meeting of the Municipal People' s Congress for record and give written explanations.

Article 48 When The Municipal People' s Congress or its Standing Committee deems it necessary, it may decide to make public the investigation results.

Chapter 8  Speaking and Voting

Article 49 Deputies to the Municipal People' s Congress shall not be held legally liable for their speeches or votes at any meeting of the Municipal People' s Congress.

Article 50 The Presidium may, when it deems it necessary, convene a plenary meeting of the Municipal People' s Congress to carry out speech. The deputy, who asks to make speech at the plenary meeting of the Municipal People' s Congress, shall sign up before the meeting, and submit the main contents of the speech to the executive chairman of the meeting, who shall arrange speeches according to the order of signing up, or decide that the Secretariat of the meeting shall print the written speeches for distribution.

If a deputy asks to make an extempore speech at the plenary meeting of the Municipal People' s Congress, he shall not make the speech until the executive chairman of the meeting allows.   

Article 51 A deputy may make two speeches at each plenary meeting of the Municipal People' s Congress, with each speech not exceeding fifteen minutes and the second speech on the same topic not exceeding ten minutes. The time of speech may be appropriately prolonged upon approval of the executive chairman of the meeting at the request of deputies in advance.

Article 52 When the Presidium holds a meeting, the member of the Presidium, the head of any delegation or the representative elected by any delegation may make two speeches, with the first speech not exceeding fifteen minutes and the second speech not exceeding ten minutes. The time of speech may be appropriately prolonged upon approval of the executive chairman of the meeting.

Article 53 The draft proposal, resolution or decision put on the agenda of the meeting for vote shall be submitted to deputies for deliberation before vote. When one fifth or more of all deputies jointly propose different opinions on the draft proposal, resolution or decision, the Presidium shall decide to take vote at the plenary meeting of the Municipal People' s Congress on whether to refer the draft proposal, resolution or decision to this meeting for vote.

 One tenth or more of all deputies may, two hours before vote on draft proposal, resolution or decision is taken at the plenary meeting, jointly raise written amendment proposal. If there is an amendment proposal, vote on which shall be taken first.   

Article 54 At the plenary meeting of the Municipal People's Congress, vote on a proposal, resolution or decision may be taken by a show of hands or by any other voting means as decided by the Presidium.

Article 55 A proposal, resolution or decision put to the plenary meeting of the Municipal People's Congress for vote shall be adopted with a simple majority of all deputies vote for.

The  vote outcome shall be announced by the person presiding over the meeting on the spot.

Chapter 9  Supplementary Provisions

Article 56 The interpretation of these rules shall be subject to the Presidium, when the Municipal People' s Congress is in session; and shall be subject to the Standing Committee of the Municipal People' s Congress, when the Municipal People' s Congress isn' t in session.

        Article 57 These rules shall become effective as of January 1,1998.