China's hundreds of millions of rural migrant workers are likely to have their own representatives seated in the national parliament.

It will be all systems go if a draft resolution on law-maker elections for next year's National People's Congress is approved by legislators at the ongoing 10th NPC annual session.

The draft resolution on deputy elections for the 11th NPC was submitted to law makers for deliberation yesterday.

It stipulates that provinces and municipalities with a large population of rural migrant workers should have an NPC deputy quota.

"China's migrant laborer population has become larger and is growing into one of the mainstays of the country's working force," said Sheng Huaren, vice chairman of the NPC Standing Committee when making a presentation on the draft resolution to about 3,000 legislators. "They should have a number of law makers to represent their rights and interests."

'Good news'

Sources with the NPC Standing Committee said that no migrant worker has ever been elected a deputy.

The draft resolution also proposes an increase of law makers from farmers and industrial workers, saying that NPC deputy numbers from these groups has dropped in recent years.

"NPC deputies must have a wide representation which is a fundamental requirement of the NPC system, and an aspect of the socialist democracy," Sheng said.

China has about 200 million migrant employees, of which more than 120 million work in cities and the remainder in towns. Official figures show 13 million farmers will become migrant workers each year if China reaches its urbanization target of 56 percent.

Sun Heng, a migrant from central Henan Province, said the draft resolution is "good news." Sun founded a band of migrant workers in Beijing in 2002, which performs exclusively for the migrant community.

"Each social group should have its own representatives to voice their own say," said Sun.

Discrimination
The plan was lauded by experts and current NPC deputies.

"It's a milestone for China's political and democratic development and marks a significant change in the country's election mechanism," said Han Dayuan, an expert on the studies of the Constitution with the Renmin University of China.

"The move means migrant workers, indispensable contributors to urban development but usually disadvantaged without access to medicare, pensions and other social securities, will finally have their mouthpieces in the highest legislature," said NPC deputy Peng Zhenqiu, from Shanghai.

"This is conducive to the immediate, direct expression of their appeals in national legislation, which can better protect their rights and interests."

Peng said discrimination against migrant workers still remains.

According to the draft resolution, the election of the 11th NPC deputies should conclude by the end of next January.