China's Communist Party Congress ends

BEIJING: China's Communist Party ended its five-yearly Congress on Sunday after amending its charter to include President Hu Jintao's vision for the nation and endorsing leadership changes.

Hu declared the event over in a short ceremony to mark the end of the week-long meeting that gathered more than 2,200 top cadres in Beijing.

On the final day of the Congress, three of the country's most powerful politicians, including Vice President Zeng Qinghong, stood down, the official Xinhua news agency reported earlier.

Zeng, 68, Wu Guanzheng, 69, the head of the party's disciplinary committee, and security chief Luo Gan, 72, were not named on the party's 204-member Central Committee that the Congress delegates chose on Sunday, Xinhua said.

The trio now cannot be reappointed to the elite Standing Committee of the Politburo, the party's top political organ that currently comprises nine people.

In its first meeting on Monday, the Central Committee will endorse the new Standing Committee.

The Central Committee is almost certain to give Hu, 64, a second term as party general secretary, paving the way for the nation's parliament to rename him president and military head at its annual session in March next year.

Prime Minister Wen Jiabao is also expected to secure his spot in the Standing Committee, allowing him to receive another five-year term as premier in March when parliament meets.

Also at the Congress on Sunday, the delegates approved an amendment to the party's constitution to include Hu's new economic and development vision for the country.

Hu's ideology of "scientific development" is a catchphrase that looks to place more emphasis on addressing the environment and China's army of poor as the nation develops, rather than a sole focus on breakneck economic growth.

The move to include Hu's ideology in the constitution is widely seen as a sign that the president has consolidated his power after succeeding Jiang Zemin five years ago.

Source: timesofindia.indiatimes.com