The Jincheng Community threw a party to celebrate the election
of local policewoman Tang Min as a delegate to the upcoming 17th
national congress of the Communist Party of China (CPC).
Tang's popularity in the community in Chengdu, capital of
southwest China's Sichuan Province, came from her work, helping
laid off workers find jobs and the elderly find homes to rent.
"We're happy that someone who can really represent us and was
recommended by us has been elected," Ren Jinbao, a resident, told
Xinhua.
Figures from the Organization Department of the CPC Central
Committee show more than 28 percent of theĀ 2,217 new Party
congress delegates were grassroots people such as workers,
policemen, doctors or teachers.
The number of grassroots delegates is four percent more than the
last congress in 2002. The delegates will represent more than 70
million CPC members, an increase of six million from the 16th
congress in 2002.
"The expansion of grassroots representation shows the Party's
resolution to support the interests of the masses," said Professor
Gao Xinmin, of the Party School of the CPC Central Committee.
The delegates were elected across the country over eight months
of voting when local CPC committees held their own congresses.
Each candidate went through strict procedures from public
nomination, Party review, announcement of shortlisted candidates
and the voting.
Text messaging and e-mails were employed to encourage voting.
Election brochures were published in various ethnic minority
languages.
Liu Youguo, a fisherman in Zhoushan city of east China's Zhejiang Province, followed the election by
phone on his boat at sea.
"We didn't miss the election while we were at sea," Liu
said.
In remote far western Tibet, local CPC officials took the polling
door to door in areas without roads and transport.
Deng Xianhua, of the Chongqing city banking regulatory
commission in southwest China, said voters could vote for anyone
who met the standard of "being hardworking, warmhearted and good at
discussing issues".
The delegates are required to "abide by and implement the Party
constitution, carry out the Party's guidelines and policies, be
industrious, honest and upright and in close touch with the public
and honestly represent their opinions and demands", says an
election brochure.
Ninety-nine percent of grassroots CPC organizations and 98
percent of CPC members participated in the poll. The number of
delegates to the 17th CPC National Congress is 100 more than that
of the 16th.
Women delegates accounted for 20 percent of the total and ethnic
minorities 11 percent, and more than 70 percent of the delegates
were aged below 55, up 7.2 percent from the last congress.
Delegates also came from "new economic and social
organizations", which usually refers to private enterprises.
"It's good the congress includes more delegates from all walks
of life," said delegate Chen Xueli, head of the Shandong Weigao
Group's CPC committee.
"With more grassroots members, more social issues will be
reflected to decision-makers, carrying forward democracy,"
Professor Gao said.
(Xinhua News Agency August 4, 2007)