Teaching Comparative Government and Politics

Friday, June 10, 2011

Independent politics in China? Maybe not!

It might seem quixotic to outsiders, but there does seem to be a small independent movement in Chinese politics. This report by Brice Pedroletti in The Guardian (UK) was originally in Le Monde.

Then again, the Chinese news agency Xinhua reports that independent candidacies are not allowed by electoral law. And you know how important it is that the law be followed to the letter.

Independents unite in bid to advance Chinese democracy

Xu Chunliu, 31, walks into the cafeteria at Sohu, the Chinese internet conglomerate… Talk focuses not on current fashions in China, less still the US stock market on which Sohu is quoted, but on politics.

Xu is a journalist and one of a new generation of young Chinese who are determined to compete in the coming general election. They want to serve as delegates to one of the people's congresses at district, township or county level, the only echelon at which direct suffrage is possible for independent candidates in communist China.

Theoretically anyone may run for office, providing they are endorsed by 10 fellow citizens, but in practice delegates are often appointed on-high. All sorts of obstacles await independent candidates, who numbered 100,000 in 2006-07. Above all, the media have instructions to mention neither their name nor their platform…

The censors are ready and waiting for the coming electoral season, from July 2011 to December 2012, but they may yet be bettered by microblogging services such as Weibo, the Chinese equivalent of Twitter…

This new sally by civil society may seem doomed to failure, but in fact, despite the climate of repression, previously taboo political issues are being aired…

Weibo candidates are led by a striking figure, Li Chengpeng, 43, who will be standing in a district of Chengdu, Sichuan. A former journalist, Li is the author of a novel on forced demolition programmes that caused a stir when it was published in January. His blog now boasts 2.9 million followers and he promises to "supervise the government"…

The next day this article appeared at Xinhua, the official government news agency:

China rejects "independent candidate" amid local legislature elections

China said Wednesday that there is no such a thing as an "independent candidate," as it's not recognized by law, amid ongoing elections starting this year of lawmakers at the county and township legislatures.

The Electoral Law stipulates that candidates for lawmakers at the county- and township- levels should be first nominated as "deputy candidate" and then confirmed as "official deputy candidate" in due legal procedures, said an official of the National People's Congress (NPC), China's top legislature.

The official, head of the Commission for Legislative Affairs of the NPC Standing Committee, made the remarks when asked about campaign announcements by "independent candidates" to run for deputies to the grassroots people's congresses…

The procedures follow four steps. A citizen must first register and win confirmation of his or her qualifications for lawmaker candidacy. Then receive a nomination as "deputy candidate" by political parties, social organizations, or 10 or more voters in one constituency.

Later, the list of official deputy candidates is determined based on the majority of opinions of the constituency, or in a preliminary vote if necessary. All campaign activities must be organized by electoral committees, said the official, citing the Electoral Law…

The New York Times followed up with this report the next day.

Concern Over Grassroots Local Campaigns in China

Chinese authorities on Wednesday appeared to restrict attempts by a handful of citizens to run in local legislative elections as self-proclaimed independent candidates, stating that such candidacies are illegal and that no one can run for office without first clearing a series of procedural hurdles…

Wednesday’s statement in People’s Daily, which quoted an unnamed National People’s Congress official, said that election rules permit only “official deputy candidates” who have negotiated a series of procedures to run for office. “There are no so-called ‘independent candidates,’ the statement said, “and ‘independent candidates’ have no legal basis.”

The article also hinted that grass-roots campaigning of the sort spawned on microblogs this year might run afoul of the rules. Xinhua quoted the unnamed National People’s Congress official as stating that “both introductive activities of candidates and their meetings with voters must be arranged by electoral committees in strict accordance with the law.”

Under the rules, candidates for county and township offices first must register and be deemed qualified to run for office, then secure support from at least 10 local voters, a political party or a citizens’ organization. The list of candidates is then winnowed by “the majority of opinions in the constituency,” the official was quoted as saying, and all subsequent campaigning is regulated by official electoral committees…

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Labels: China, parties, politics