China will reelect its county and township people's congresses from July 1, 2006 to December 31, 2007, in accordance with stipulations in the Constitution and the Election Law.

More than two million deputies to the county people's congresses and deputies to township people's congresses will be reelected in the upcoming 18 months.

Around 900 million voters will involve in the reelection of county people's congresses and more than 600 million voters will partake in the reelection of township people's congresses, according to a source from the Standing Committee of China's National People's Congress (NPC) or the top legislature.

An official with the NPC Standing Committee said the simultaneous reelections of the county people's congress and township people's congress is a major event in the country's political life and an important practice for developing socialist democracy.

"The smooth reelection of the county people's congresses and township people's congresses is of great importance to consolidating the foundation of the state power, the building a socialist harmonious society and strengthening the ruling capacity of the Communist party of China (CPC)," he acknowledged.

He said three guiding principles should be abided by in the course of the reelection. First, adherence to the CPC leadership and, second, promotion of democracy. The voters' right to elect and deputies should be fully respected and safeguarded. Thirdly, strictly observance of the relevant laws. The work of reelection should strictly follow the stipulations in Constitution and other relevant laws.

The right to vote for migrants will be paid great attention to during the reelection, as the country's migrants account for one tenth of the country's total population.

Migrant could attend voting at his or her residence registration place or entrust in written form other voters in his or her residence registration place to exert voting right.

Every voter could accept voting entrustment from no more than three migrants and must respect their choices, according to a document issued by the CPC Central Committee.

Wrongdoing in reelections, such as corruption, election sabotage and election intervention by gangs will be strictly dealt with upon discovery. The structure of the deputies will be further optimized, as a certain proportion of workers, farmers and intellectuals, as well as women, will be encouraged in the reelection. To better prepare for the reelections of county people's congresses and township people's congresses, the General Office of the NPC Standing Committee, the Organization Department of the CPC Central Committee and the Publicity Department of the CPC Central Committee jointly launched a training class here from Tuesday to Wednesday.

On the training class, Wang Zhaoguo, vice-chairman of the NPC Standing Committee, He Guoqiang, head of the Organization Department of the CPC Central Committee and Sheng Huaren, vice-chairman and Secretary General of the NPC Standing Committee all made important speeches.

(Xinhua News Agency June 22, 2006)