County magistrate elected through 'mass recommendation and poll' for the first time

Home>>China

Last updated at: (Beijing Time) Thursday, December 18, 2003

County magistrate elected through 'mass recommendation and poll' for the first time

DISCUSSION

CHINESE

SEND TO FRIEND

China's first county magistrate candidate recommended and voted by the public was elected deputy county governor and acting county magistrate in Pei County of Xuzhou City, Jiangsu Province, thus successfully concluding the trial election of county governor by way of "mass recommendation and poll." This is the first time for China to have a county-level leader candidate elected through "mass recommendation and poll".

The 39-year-old newly elected acting county magistrate has a working experience of ten years as deputy-chief at department level. Different from previous candidates selected by the people's congress, the acting county magistrate elected by representatives this time is a household name recommended by the masses of people therefore the whole voting process went on very smoothly and the representatives taking part in the voting also felt excited. According to the introduction from the organization department of the Pei County CPC (Communist Party of China) committee, this candidate stood out from among 70 department-level cadres who took part in the "mass recommendation and poll" in Xuzhou City through five rounds of heated competition.

All 27 members of the standing committee of the people's congress of Pei County took part in the voting. Ren Yanjie, a representative from the Datun Coal and Electric Company of Pei County said excitedly that previously, they always felt like just going through a routine procedure when picking out the candidates. Now this new county governor is elected out via many procedures and having a very solid mass-foundation therefore they trust him.

Sources say that the "massrecommendation and poll", an important breakthrough in terms of the way in selecting leaders, has become a common view among governments and the CPC committees at various levels in Jiangsu Province. Further tapping is under way where conditions permit.

Suyu County located in north Jiangsu Province is the origin of selecting leaders through "mass recommendation and poll". In early 2003, the county initiated trial election of township heads through "mass recommendation and poll" in two townships and the effects were gratifying. Later, the CPC committee of Suyu County spread this operation to other villages and towns. Up to now there are 14 magistrates in 24 townships elected through "mass recommendation and poll" in Suyu County. Meanwhile, two cities of Jiangsu Province elected their candidates for district chiefs resorting to this means. Among those elected, the two district chiefs of Huaiyin District and Qinghe District of Huai'an City have assumed their posts. The two candidate chiefs of Baixia District and Liuhe District of Nanjing City have also been elected and will take up the office soon after completing relevant law procedures at the people's congress.

By PD Online staff member Gao Lanrong

Questions?Comments? Click here

Township breaks convention in Party cadre selection

Election for district people's congress goes smoothly in Beijing

Democratic consciousness grows in rural China

China opposes foreign interference on HK affairs: Official ( 54 Messages)

China seeks int'l support in counter-terrorism ( 12 Messages)

Former Iraqi President Saddam Hussein arrested ( 101 Messages)

Nanjing Massacre remembered ( 54 Messages)

Abandoned Chinese babies find love from foreign parents ( 3 Messages)