CHINA PREMIER RE- ELECTED FOR 2ND 5- YR TERM
Beijing, March 18: Chinese Premier Li Keqiang, the No. 2 leader of the Communist Party, was on Sunday re- elected for a second five- year tenure by China’s rubberstamp Parliament, a day after Xi Jinping was re- appointed as the president with no limits on the number of terms he can serve.
Li, 62, who was nominated on behalf of Xi, was re- appointed with 2,964 votes in favour and two against during the annual session of the National People’s Congress at Beijing’s Great Hall of the People.
Li maintained a low profile under the Chinese president mainly looking after the country’s economy as Xi consolidated power and surrounded himself with powerful aides.
Li completed the first five- year tenure along with Xi who is now regarded as the “core” leader of the party placed along with party founder Mao Zedong.
Xi, 64, was on Saturday re- elected unanimously by 2,970 deputies of the NPC, days after it ratified constitutional amendment to remove the decades old two- term limit for the president and vice- president posts.
He was also re- elected as the Chairman of the Central Military Commission ( CMC) which is the overall high command of the two million strong Chinese military, the world’s largest.
Xi’s loyalist and close confidant Wang Qishan was elected as vice president.