As voting by more than 700 million Chinese in ongoing elections nationwide for village leaders and deputies to town and county congresses continues, observers said that grassroots democracy is flourishing in China.
Elections for deputies to town- and county-level people's congresses and village heads are regarded as two pillars of grassroots democracy in China.
Visiting a village election in East China's Jiangsu Province in September 2001, former US president Jimmy Carter said that Chinese farmers cherished their rights.
So far this year 16 provinces, autonomous regions and municipalities in China have held direct elections for new village leaders.
Those taking part in the elections accounted for more than 80 per cent of total eligible voters in all areas, and the proportion exceeded 90 per cent in some areas, according to the Ministry of Civil Affairs.
Direct elections are now the major form of grassroots elections in China.
A law on village committee organization introduced in 1987 for a trial run clearly stipulates that directors, deputy directors and members of village committees should be chosen through direct elections.
The law on the organization of village committees, which took effect in 1998, defines the autonomous nature of a village committee and improves election procedures.
Since 1987, village leaderships have changed four to five times through direct elections in most provinces, autonomous regions and municipalities across China.
The law on the organization of neighborhood committees in cities was established in 1989. The law states that such committees are autonomous organizations for urban residents. Since then, urban community leaders have been directly elected in 20 Chinese cities, including Shenyang, Wuhan and Nanjing.
Apart from the heads of autonomous organizations, deputies to the people's congresses at county and township levels are also chosen through direct elections, under China's Constitution and laws on local organizations.
The deputies at county and township levels number about 3 million nationwide, and serve for five years and three years respectively.
Direct elections were held in the second half of last year for new deputies to township people's congresses, while elections began in the second half of this year for new deputies to county people's congresses.
(China Daily October 21, 2002)
