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Chinese village gets rare taste of democracy
By Marianne Barriaux | AFP – 7 mins ago
A Chinese village that rebelled against corrupt Communist leaders went to the polls on Saturday in a contested election seen as a landmark for those seeking more democracy in the one-party state.
The vote for the committee governing Wukan went ahead with official approval after a long campaign by local people to end what they say was years of corrupt rule by Communist Party officials.
Although village elections are common in China's rural areas, candidates are typically put forward by authorities and often run unopposed, unlike the poll in Wukan, in which 21 contenders stood for seven committee slots.
The vote came months after residents of Wukan, in Guangdong province, rose up against authorities in a bold revolt, driving out the local officials they said had been stealing their land for years.
More: http://news.yahoo.com/china-rebel-village-vote-democracy-exercise-211156310.html
A Chinese village that rebelled against corrupt Communist leaders went to the polls on Saturday in a contested election seen as a landmark for those seeking more democracy in the one-party state.
The vote for the committee governing Wukan went ahead with official approval after a long campaign by local people to end what they say was years of corrupt rule by Communist Party officials.
Although village elections are common in China's rural areas, candidates are typically put forward by authorities and often run unopposed, unlike the poll in Wukan, in which 21 contenders stood for seven committee slots.
The vote came months after residents of Wukan, in Guangdong province, rose up against authorities in a bold revolt, driving out the local officials they said had been stealing their land for years.
More: http://news.yahoo.com/china-rebel-village-vote-democracy-exercise-211156310.html
