------Source: Xinhua

Source:

03-11-2006 14:22

A Chinese lawmaker has revealed that Beijing has stared legislation on the 2008 Olympic Games, as a political advisor of the country has called on the Games' organizers to "reduce the disturbances of Beijing citizens' normal life to the minimum."

"We must attach great importance to the Olympic legislation if we want to make the 2008 Beijing Games unique and high-standard," said Liu Qi, a deputy to the 10th National People's Congress, the Chinese legislature in its annual full session here, and also secretary of the Beijing Municipal Committee of the Communist Party of China, during a group discussion of the Beijing lawmakers on Thursday.

Research and feasibility study on the Olympic legislation have started in accordance with the legislative procedures, while the Chinese central authorities "have shown great concerns about the issue," said Liu, also president of the Beijing Organizing Committee for the 2008 Olympic Games, without giving more details.

However, Liu pledged that the Olympic legislation, which is "closely connected with the interests of the general public," will "take China's actual situation into full account" and "be based onthe practical needs at present."

In an exclusive interview with Xinhua, Tian Maijiu, a member ofthe 10th National Committee of the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference, the country's top advisory body also in its annual full session here, said that he hoped the organizers ofthe 2008 Beijing Olympics could try their best to "minimize the possible disturbances" of the normal life of residents in the Chinese capital during the event.

"According to past experience, the host city of the Olympic Games will witness an influx of hundreds of thousands of people within a dozen days, which will affect the life of the local citizens for certain," said Tian, a professor with the Beijing Sports University. "However, it's the organizers' duty to reduce the impact of the Games on the normal life of the local residents as much as possible."

"Beijing has promised to host a human-centered Games in 2008, which should include the efforts to guarantee the normal life of the general public," Tian noted.

The advisor also called on local citizens in Beijing to "show full understanding and cooperation" when the organizers have to "make some special arrangements" to ensure good traffic, sound social order and satisfactory accommodation for visitors during the Games.

According to local experts, one of the issues most likely to be addressed by the proposed Olympic legislation is the city traffic during the 2008 Games. With more than 2 million cars running on the roads every day, Beijing is suffering serious traffic congestion.

During the 2004 Olympic Games hosted by Athens, the Greek capital introduced special express lanes for Olympic vehicles on local main roads through legislation. Meanwhile, tens of thousands of Athenians "escaped" from the city for holiday making to avoid various inconveniences brought about by the month-long Games.

 

Editor:Wang