From The Reuters, via theage.com.au:
A provincial Chinese government adviser has urged Communist Party leaders to lift a ban on new political parties, halt suppression of a spiritual sect and let exiled dissidents return home.
In a bold move by an establishment figure, Wang Zhaojun made his requests in an open letter to President Hu Jintao and Premier Wen Jiabao. He said dramatic political reforms were needed to deal with a plethora of problems: a roller-coaster stockmarket, inflationary pressures, rising real estate prices, regional imbalances and dire poverty.
“Release all political prisoners and welcome home overseas pro-democracy figures to jointly establish a democratic China,” wrote Mr Wang, 59, a standing committee member of an advisory body to the Anhui provincial legislature in eastern China. [Full Text]
[Image source: epochtimes.com]