Beijing: In the most definite sign yet of Vice-President Hu Jintao taking over the reins of China's Communist Party, President Jiang Zemin and five other top leaders stepped down from their posts in the 81-year-old party which elected its new 300- plus Central Committee on November 14.

Besides 76-year-old Jiang, Premier Zhu Rongji, Parliamentary Chairman Li Peng, both 74, Li Ruihuan, 68, Wei Jianxing, 71, and Li Lanqing, 70, are the other leaders who have not been elected to the new 356-member Central Committee at the party's 16th Congress which concluded on November 14.

Hu, 59, is the only member of the 15th Central Committee political bureau standing committee who has entered the 16th Central Committee. He is widely expected to succeed Jiang on November 15 when the new Central Committee meets.

"With warm applause, more than 2,100 delegates to the Congress showed respect and appreciation to 76-year-old Jiang and his colleagues for the breadth of their political vision and sterling integrity," Xinhua news agency said.

The new CPC Central Committee is composed of 198 full members and 158 alternate members.

Hailing the changeover process, Jinag said at the closing session that, "The Central Committee for the new term has been elected at the Congress, thus ensuring the smooth succession of the new collective at the central leadership of the party to the previous one."

As executive members of the presidium of the 16th CPC National Congress, Jiang and his five colleagues who had not been listed as candidates for membership of the new Central Committee, sat in the front row on the podium at the Great Hall of the People.

PTI