BEIJING (AP) — The outgoing head of China’s legislature praised the body today for upholding the ruling Communist Party’s leading role and for rejecting Western models of multiparty democracy.

Wu Bangguo’s statements came in his final address to the National People’s Congress during its annual session, at which Wu and other top leaders will step down following a decade in power.

Wu has in previous years been even more strident in criticizing Western-style democracy, and his relatively mild comments today appear to reflect the party’s confidence that it has silenced calls for a more independentminded lawmaking body.

“We provided legal and institutional guarantees that the party’s line, principles and policies were implemented, and ensured that the party fully played its role as the leadership core in exercising overall leadership and coordinating everyone’s efforts,” Wu told the nearly 3,000 NPC members gathered at the hulking Great Hall of the People, the seat of the legislature in the heart of Beijing.