BEIJING, March 4 (Xinhua) -- Deputies to the 14th National People's Congress (NPC) gathered here Saturday morning at a preparatory meeting to elect the presidium and set the agenda for the first session of the 14th NPC, scheduled to begin on Sunday.

 

A 192-member presidium was elected, with Li Hongzhong as secretary-general of the NPC session, according to a statement issued after the meeting.

 

All the preparatory work for the annual session has been done, said Chairman of the 13th NPC Standing Committee Li Zhanshu, who presided over the preparatory meeting.

 

The session will be democratic, united, pragmatic and progressive. It will rally Chinese people of all ethnic groups more closely around the Communist Party of China (CPC) Central Committee with Comrade Xi Jinping at the core to strive in unity to build a modern socialist country in all respects and advance the great rejuvenation of the Chinese nation on all fronts, he said.

 

The preparatory meeting also adopted the nine-item agenda of the upcoming session.

 

The newly-elected presidium met shortly afterward and elected Zhao Leji, a member of the Standing Committee of the Political Bureau of the CPC Central Committee, and 10 other deputies to the 14th NPC as executive chairpersons of the presidium.

 

Li Zhanshu shook hands with all executive chairpersons before heading out of the meeting hall amid warm applause.

 

Later, executive chairpersons of the presidium held their first meeting, chaired by Zhao.

 

Before the preparatory meeting on Saturday morning, chairman and vice chairpersons of the 13th NPC Standing Committee held their last meeting to make preparations for the upcoming session.

 

The meeting, presided over by Li Zhanshu, finalized a list of candidates for the presidium and secretary-general of the first session of the 14th NPC and heard a report on the session's draft agenda.