Electoral law makes major progress

The closing meeting of this year's NPC session has passed amendments to the election law concerning the NPC, and the people's congress on regional levels. Yuan Yifang has more on some key points of the amendments.

The draft amendment is a great stride for China's democratic politics.

The centerpiece of the amendment is to grant equal representation in people's congresses to rural and urban residents, with a focus on equality in three key areas.

Wang Zhaoguo, Vice Chairman of NPC Standing Committee, said, "One, to guarantee the equal rights of all citizens to vote. Two, to guarantee the equal rights of all localities to participate in the organs of state power. Three, to guarantee an appropriate number of deputies for every ethnic group."

Prior to the passing of the draft amendment, each rural deputy represents a population four times that of an urban deputy. This means while one NPC deputy could represent 960 thousand rural residents, another could represent only 240 thousand urban residents.

Li Mingrong, NPC Deputy, said, "This is a big step in the development of China's human-rights progress. Equal election rights to everyone means equal political and democratic rights for all."

Zong Chenle, PC Deputy, said, "More deputies from the grass-roots level will bring more authentic representation of the people. It will be easier for the central government to understand the true feelings of the rural population."

Zhang Liansheng, PC Deputy, said, "The amendment grants more representatives from rural areas, which is in accordance with the social development and the willingness of the entire Chinese nation."

The amendment has also gained applause from overseas media.

An article published on the US web site of the Qiaobao Newspaper has hailed the amendment as a way to eliminate obsolete portions of electoral law and to realize the principle of equal voting rights, which would demonstrate the constitutional spirit that "all people are equal before the law."

The Associated Press has said China, once an overwhelmingly rural society, is boosting representation for its dwindling rural population in the national legislature as part of a new push to narrow the development gap between city and countryside.

(Draft amendment is a way to eliminate obsolete portions of electoral law and to realize the principle of equal voting rights, which would demonstrate the constitutional spirit that "all people are equal before the law."

China, once an overwhelmingly rural society, is boosting representation for its dwindling rural population in the national legislature as part of a new push to narrow the development gap between city and countryside.)

The electoral system is the foundation of the people's congress system in China. And the Electoral Law is an important law guaranteeing Chinese citizens' rights to elect or be elected as a deputy to the people's congresses at all levels.