A total of 8.5 million voters will go to the polls on Wednesday
in congressional elections for Beijing's 18 counties and districts,
and 181 townships, according to sources with the election
headquarters on Tuesday.
There are 6,715 candidates running for the 4,403 deputy seats in
the county (district) people's congresses, and 15,185 candidates
for the 9,983 township people's congresses this year.
Elections for China's county and township congresses will be
spread over the period July 1, 2006 to December 31, 2007, in
accordance with provisions in the Constitution and the Election
Law. More than two million deputies will be elected nationwide over
the 18-month period.
In Beijing's county-level congressional elections, no more than
12 percent of candidates should be nominated by political parties,
and the proportion drops to 8 percent for township-level
elections.
Election procedures have been reformed to ensure that most
candidates -- 88 percent at county level and 92 percent at township
level -- are nominated directly by voters.
Election rules also require that at least 36 percent of county
congress candidates are women, and 35 percent in township
elections, so as to protect women's political and democratic
rights.
(Xinhua News Agency November 7, 2006)