Beijing: Over 2,000 delegates to the 16th Congress of the Communist Party of China (CPC) on November 14 began last-minute deliberations before voting to select members of the powerful Central Committee as well as enshrine radical policy changes to the party's constitution.

Before the weeklong session closes on November 14 morning, the 2,114 party delegates will elect the 16th CPC Central Committee and a new Central Commission for Discipline Inspection (CCDI), which investigates corruption and misdeeds.

The delegates are also expected to pass resolutions on the report of the 15th CPC Central Committee, the work report of the CCDI and an amendment to the constitution of the CPC, the official Xinhua news agency reported.

The amendment to the party's constitution is aimed at including President Jiang Zemin's 'three represents' theory into the constitution. It calls for the inclusion of private businessmen and capitalists into the party for the first time.

"The Congress, the first of its kind convened by the CPC in the new century, is of great importance in the new situation in which China has begun to take the third step of its strategic plan for socialist modernisation," the report said.

The presidium of the 16th National Congress on November 13, presided over by Chinese President and party general secretary Jiang Zemin, approved the lists of candidates for members and alternate members of a new CPC Central Committee, besides for the CCDI.

PTI