Elections in China: Authorities cite non-existent laws to exclude "uncomfortable" candidates
There are lots of independent candidates. The circumvent censorship by campaigning on the Internet. The authorities "invent" non-existent laws to exclude them from election. But some people make it through.
Beijing (AsiaNews / Agencies) - Censored, reviled and threatened, and finally excluded by non-existent laws. This is the impossible road of independent candidates in China. And there are many stories of people who will not surrender.
Chunliu Xu, well-known journalist in Beijing, put himself forward as an independent candidate for the November election of Dongcheng District, a body bereft of funds and legislative powers, but elected by popular vote. These elections are held every 3-5 years since the 1980s, on a case by case basis, and are used by Beijing to say that democratic reform is underway. But everyone points out that only Communist Party approved candidates are allowed.
Xu (pictured) tried to circumvent censorship on the Internet and social media: he has 20 thousand contacts on Sina Weibo, the microblog similar to Twitter that is very popular in China. But in late October, a week before the vote, the local CP committee excluded him and three other independent candidates. They charged Xu with working in another district and not being a "true blood resident” of Dongcheng where he has lived for years.
Many bloggers complained on Sina Weibo for this reduction from 6 to 2 candidates. Someone, in protest, wrote on his ballot "other."
The same thing happened to Cheng Yuting in another district of Beijing, excluded a few days before the vote because the 10 signatories who presented his candidacy had not signed in front of members of the local committee: a requirement that the law does not provide.
Liang Shuxin was excluded from the elections in Tianya, Guangzhou, because the CP has said that candidates should be women and work. This limit was later removed, but Liang was excluded despite protests.
As previously, this year independent candidates were often threatened and even beaten by "unknown assailants", excluded all over China, a few days before the vote (which occurs at different times in different cities), more or less for invented excuses .
The same has happened to Chi Weitian, 22, a student of Jinan University in Guangzhou, who stated that "the government does not respect its own law." In protest, 82 people voted for him anyway.
Yao Bo was ruled out of the elections, in Beijing, and the authorities have explained that it had found "better candidates".
The exact number of the independent candidates across the country is unknown, the daily New York Times speaks of more than 100 thousand people. The authorities are seriously alarmed and in May the Global Times newspaper, controlled by the CP, warned that "the so-called independent candidates" "could destroy the current system, soliciting votes on the internet". Also because someone has actually made it through.
In Foshan two independents who promised to protect the rights of locals against the forced evictions from their land, were elected. Guo Huojia, a fruit and vegetables wholesaler with a primary school education, was elected with 4827 votes 28 September, two thousand more than the "official" candidate. He told Western newspapers that "the residents have chosen me, now I will do my best to solve their problems." And in the elections he kept a "low profile", without a public campaign.
Other candidates are well-known and it is not easy to exclude them: Li Chengpeng, Sichuan Province, is a sports reporter and writer, his microblog has 3 million followers. Danhong Wu is a professor in Beijing University.
Experts comment that the government can not expect to continue to dominate the whole social and political life, faced with this growing demand for democracy, which is stronger than fear and obstacles.
Even if the past is no cause for optimism. The teacher Yao Lifa was among the first independent candidate elected in 1998. But could not do much and was defeated at the next election. He has since been detained and is under constant control of the police.
Chunliu Xu, well-known journalist in Beijing, put himself forward as an independent candidate for the November election of Dongcheng District, a body bereft of funds and legislative powers, but elected by popular vote. These elections are held every 3-5 years since the 1980s, on a case by case basis, and are used by Beijing to say that democratic reform is underway. But everyone points out that only Communist Party approved candidates are allowed.
Xu (pictured) tried to circumvent censorship on the Internet and social media: he has 20 thousand contacts on Sina Weibo, the microblog similar to Twitter that is very popular in China. But in late October, a week before the vote, the local CP committee excluded him and three other independent candidates. They charged Xu with working in another district and not being a "true blood resident” of Dongcheng where he has lived for years.
Many bloggers complained on Sina Weibo for this reduction from 6 to 2 candidates. Someone, in protest, wrote on his ballot "other."
The same thing happened to Cheng Yuting in another district of Beijing, excluded a few days before the vote because the 10 signatories who presented his candidacy had not signed in front of members of the local committee: a requirement that the law does not provide.
Liang Shuxin was excluded from the elections in Tianya, Guangzhou, because the CP has said that candidates should be women and work. This limit was later removed, but Liang was excluded despite protests.
As previously, this year independent candidates were often threatened and even beaten by "unknown assailants", excluded all over China, a few days before the vote (which occurs at different times in different cities), more or less for invented excuses .
The same has happened to Chi Weitian, 22, a student of Jinan University in Guangzhou, who stated that "the government does not respect its own law." In protest, 82 people voted for him anyway.
Yao Bo was ruled out of the elections, in Beijing, and the authorities have explained that it had found "better candidates".
The exact number of the independent candidates across the country is unknown, the daily New York Times speaks of more than 100 thousand people. The authorities are seriously alarmed and in May the Global Times newspaper, controlled by the CP, warned that "the so-called independent candidates" "could destroy the current system, soliciting votes on the internet". Also because someone has actually made it through.
In Foshan two independents who promised to protect the rights of locals against the forced evictions from their land, were elected. Guo Huojia, a fruit and vegetables wholesaler with a primary school education, was elected with 4827 votes 28 September, two thousand more than the "official" candidate. He told Western newspapers that "the residents have chosen me, now I will do my best to solve their problems." And in the elections he kept a "low profile", without a public campaign.
Other candidates are well-known and it is not easy to exclude them: Li Chengpeng, Sichuan Province, is a sports reporter and writer, his microblog has 3 million followers. Danhong Wu is a professor in Beijing University.
Experts comment that the government can not expect to continue to dominate the whole social and political life, faced with this growing demand for democracy, which is stronger than fear and obstacles.
Even if the past is no cause for optimism. The teacher Yao Lifa was among the first independent candidate elected in 1998. But could not do much and was defeated at the next election. He has since been detained and is under constant control of the police.
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