The Council of Chairmen of the Standing Committee of the 10th National People's Congress (NPC) concluded its last meeting on Monday afternoon to make preparations for a new parliamentary session.

The meeting, presided over by Chairman Wu Bangguo of the NPC Standing Committee, finalized a list of candidates for the presidium and secretary-general of the First Session of the 11th NPC Standing Committee.

The Council of Chairmen also heard a report on the draft agenda of the upcoming NPC session. The list of candidates and draft agenda would be submitted to the session's preparatory meeting on Tuesday for approval.

The list of candidates and draft agenda had been deliberated by deputies to the 11th NPC at separate meetings on Monday morning.

According to China's Constitution and the Organic Law of the National People's Congress, the Council of Chairmen, which comprises the chairman, vice chairpersons and secretary-general of the NPC Standing Committee, meet to handle important routine work of the parliament.

Altogether 76 meetings of the Council of Chairman have been held since the first one on March 2003, when the 10th NPC Standing Committee was formed.

The First Session of the 11th NPC is scheduled to start in Beijing on March 5.

(Xinhua News Agency March 4, 2008)