Public reaction to China's proposal to overhaul the national holiday system has been favorable, according to an on-line government poll, but to some observers, the questions about the plan were "leading" and the results were questionable.

The plan, released last Friday, would increase the number of national holidays annually from 10 to 11 days. However, the week-long May Day break would be reduced to just one day and replaced by three festival-related holidays.

At China's largest portal, Sina.com, more than 460,000 questionnaires were answered within three days. Five of the questions sought to measure attitudes towards the proposal were predominantly -- from 65 to 90 percent -- answered with "support". Polls at other major news portals showed more or less the same results.

But a look at on-line discussion boards showed that public opinion was far more mixed, with discussion centering on whether the traditional week-long May Day holiday should be affected.

"Negative opinions on canceling the May Day holiday shown in the BBS (online forum) posts are in sharp contrast with the overwhelming 'support' in the poll figures," noted columnist Bi Shicheng.

In contrast, netizen Zheng Shihu wrote: "Canceling the May Day holiday deprives many Chinese of the chance to return to their hometowns for family gatherings."

On the official questionnaire devised by a government panel, there were no specific questions about this controversial proposal.

"The design of the questionnaire leaves the public no choice but being 'supportive,'" said Shu Shengxiang, a Hangzhou-based accountant. "It is not a wise move to avert seeking public opinion on the key issue of the plan."

Polls should be designed to best reflect public opinion, not avoid the problem through "carefully-designed" questions, he said.

As results of the poll, scheduled to end on Thursday, would be considered in the final drafting of the plan, observers also questioned if the on-line questionnaire truly represented public sentiment in deciding such an important issue. Tang Jun, a research fellow on social policy with Chinese Academy of Social Sciences, said the poll was flawed on the issue of the country's vast number of rural migrant workers as most don't have access to the Internet.

"To solicit public opinion, we have to let the disadvantaged have a say."

(Xinhua News Agency November 13, 2007)