China rejects 'independent candidate'
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China said Wednesday that there is no such a thing as an "independent candidate," as it's not recognized by law, amid ongoing elections starting this year of lawmakers at the county and township legislatures.
The Electoral Law stipulates that candidates for lawmakers at the county- and township- levels should be first nominated as "deputy candidate" and then confirmed as "official deputy candidate" in due legal procedures, said an official of the National People's Congress (NPC), China's top legislature.
The official, head of the Commission for Legislative Affairs of the NPC Standing Committee, made the remarks when asked about campaign announcements by "independent candidates" to run for deputies to the grassroots people's congresses. These announcements were made on the web over the past few weeks.
The Constitution and the Electoral Law grant qualified citizens the right to vote and to be elected, but election activities must adhere with the law and its specific provisions for the election procedures of lawmakers, the official said.
The procedures follow four steps. A citizen must first register and win confirmation of his or her qualifications for lawmaker candidacy. Then receive a nomination as "deputy candidate" by political parties, social organizations, or 10 or more voters in one constituency.
Later, the list of official deputy candidates is determined based on the majority of opinions of the constituency, or in a preliminary vote if necessary. All campaign activities must be organized by electoral committees, said the official, citing the Electoral Law.
China started elections of lawmakers at the county- and township-levels on May 7, which granted, for the first time, equal representation in legislative bodies to rural and urban citizens.
More than 2 million lawmakers at the county- and township-levels will be elected during nationwide elections, held every five years, in more than 2,000 counties and 30,000 townships, according to the NPC.
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