China considers amending election law to give rural people more say
4/3/2008 16:24
China's parliament is considering amending the election law to give equal
representation to rural and urban residents, said a parliament spokesman in
Beijing today.
"Provided the progressing urbanization in China, the present
election law needs amending," said Jiang Enzhu, spokesman for the First Session
of the National People's Congress (NPC), at a press conference.
According to
the present election law, the number of people a rural NPC deputy represents is
four times that of an urban deputy.
With the increase of urban population, it
is necessary to give equal representation to the two groups, Jiang said.
The
10th NPC Standing Committee has suggested its successor to list the amendment in
the legislation plan this year, according to Jiang.
However, the spokesman
said "it is up to the 11th NPC Standing Committee, to be elected at the upcoming
session, to make final decision."
The 4:1 ratio was based on the reality of
Chinese society when the law was amended in 1995, Jiang said.
Ten years
later, China had about 577 million urban residents and 723 million rural
residents by 2006.
Xinhua
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