BEIJING - China's national legislators elected a presidium Wednesday and set the agenda for the legislature's annual session, which is to open Thursday.

A 172-member presidium was elected to take charge of the procedures of the third session of the 12th National People's Congress (NPC), which is scheduled to conclude on March 15, said Fu Ying, spokeswoman of the session, at a press conference Wednesday.

Li Jianguo was elected secretary-general of the session, she said.

National lawmakers will hear and deliberate the government work report and examine the reports on the national economic and social development plan as well as the central and local budgets.

They will also hear and deliberate the work reports of the NPC Standing Committee, the Supreme People's Court and the Supreme People's Procuratorate.

These six reports have been regular projects of the annual session for years.

The new arrangement this year is to review a draft amendment to the Legislation Law, which has been through two readings at the bi-monthly sessions of the NPC Standing Committee.

Only bills about the Constitution and very important laws will go to the annual full session while the other bills are heard and voted by the NPC Standing Committee members, which indicates the significance of the Legislation Law.

Regulating how a law is drafted and adopted by whom, the Legislation Law plays an essential role for the rule of law. The bill is shaped to streamline the law-making procedure, improve legislation quality and ensure the legitimacy of administrative power.