130 caught in election scandals
(Xinhua)
Updated: 2006-11-21 16:06
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One
hundred-year-old Zhang Jinglan casts a ballot for her favorite
deputies to the Xicheng District People's Congress at a poll station in
Xicheng District, Beijing November 8, 2006. [Newsphoto]
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Beijing -- More than 130 local officials have been charged with vote-buying,
embezzlement and other election fraud as millions of Chinese voters elect tens
of thousands of officials and representatives this year and next.
The
Organization Department of the Communist Party of China (CPC) Central Committee
and the CPC Central Commission for Discipline Inspection said in a press release
on Tuesday that it is investigating 70 cases involving election irregularities.
Under China's electoral process, elections for Party officials to Party
posts and representatives to non-Party legislative bodies are being held
concurrently this year and next. Eighty million Party members will vote to elect
100,000 Party officials and millions more registered voters will elect
representatives to local and regional people's congresses and consultative
assemblies.
Inspections teams have been sent across the country to
supervise local elections. Several provinces have also open telephone hotlines
and websites to invite the public to report corruption and malpractice.
"In general, elections at the municipal, county and township levels are
going on well," the Party press release said.
Still several election
scandals have been already been exposed. Earlier this year, Lu Chengli, former
deputy head of the town of Tangzhui in Wuchuan city, of south China's Guangdong
Province, was removed from his post and expelled from Party after he rigged his
election as deputy town head in April. He gave favors to 12 delegates who
nominated him and paid 55 delegates to the township people's congress 1,000 yuan
each in return for their votes.
The CPC brought some of the scandals to
light earlier this year hoping to deter similar corrupt practices in the
upcoming elections. Most of the violators were expelled from the
Party.
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