A draft law allowing more public consultation in the planning of China's cities and countryside will be discussed by China's legislature this month.

The Standing Committee of the National People's Congress (NPC) will deliberate on the draft urban and rural planning law at the session beginning on April 24.

The law is intended to force local governments to solicit expert opinions and hold public hearings before approving an urban or rural development plan. Some urban or rural development programs are inconsistent with the local environmental conditions or public demand.

The NPC will also deliberate on the draft amendment to the Animal Epidemic Prevention Law, which is intended to strengthen animal epidemic surveillance, early warning and financial guarantee systems, so as to better respond severe animal epidemics, such as bird flu.

The four-day legislative session will also continue to discuss the draft labor contract law, according to the agenda set at a meeting of the NPC Standing Committee chairman and vice-chairpersons presided over by top legislator Wu Bangguo on Monday.

Under the Constitution, deputies of the 11th NPC must be elected before the end of January 2008. The fifth session of the 10th NPC adopted a resolution on the election of 11th NPC deputies and other electoral matters in March.

The NPC Standing Committee chairman and vice-chairpersons meeting framed a draft plan for the election, guaranteeing the broadest social representation in NPC, and draft methods for ensuring a proper ratio of deputies from ethnic minorities and for electing Taiwanese deputies.

The three drafts will be discussed at the upcoming legislative session.

Legislators will also deliberate and ratify extradition treaties with Namibia and Angola.

The session will hear and deliberate on a State Council report on the protection of the lawful investment rights of Taiwan people.

(Xinhua News Agency April 17, 2007)