Wu Bangguo, chairman of the Standing Committee of China's National People's Congress (NPC), presides over a plenary meeting of the 24th session of the 11th NPC Standing Committee in Beijing, capital of China, Dec 26, 2011. China's top legislature on Monday began its bimonthly session to deliberate an expository bill of the Macao Basic Law and other draft laws and amendments. [Photo/Xinhua]

BEIJING - The National People's Congress (NPC) Standing Committee, China's top legislature, began on Monday its bimonthly session to deliberate an expository bill of the Macao Basic Law and other draft laws and amendments.

A total of 152 members of the NPC Standing Committee attended the session, which was presided over by Wu Bangguo, chairman of the NPC Standing Committee.

The lawmakers deliberated draft interpretations on two annexes to the Basic Law of the Macao Special Administrative Region (SAR) regarding the method for the selection of the SAR chief executive and the method for the formation of the SAR Legislative Council.

The lawmakers believe that it is "proper and necessary" to adopt the draft during the session this week as it would help safeguard Macao's long-term prosperity and stability.

The draft amendment to the Law on Occupational Illness Prevention and Control, which undergoes its third reading at the session, stipulates that local governments can arrange patients to get treatment if their former employers no longer exist or the claimed original work relations cannot be ascertained.

The draft also said that the worker's union must be consulted when an employer is working out or amending its own system with regard to occupational illness prevention and control.

The draft amendment to the Criminal Procedural Law stipulates that prosecutors and police are allowed to check and freeze criminal suspects' bonds, shares and funds.

The draft amendment, submitted for its second reading, also stipulates that protective measures should be taken to ensure the safety of appraisers.

The draft amendment excludes criminal cases involving foreign criminal suspects from the category in which the first trial must be heard by intermediate courts, given that the trial capabilities of local courts have been enhanced.