National and Local People’s Congresses in China

1. National and Local People’s Congresses in China

2. On November 7, 1931, the First People's Congress of the Chinese Soviet Republic, which was established by the Communist Party of China, was held in Ruijin, central China's Jiangxi Province. 1931年11月7日,第一次全国工农兵代表大会在江西瑞金召开,会议通过了《中华苏维埃共和国宪法大纲》、《苏维埃地方政府暂行组织条例》,选举产生了全国工农兵代表大会中央执行委员会和中华苏维埃共和国临时中央政府——中央人民委员会。

4. The 1953 Election Law • The first election law was passed in 1953, the Electoral Law of the National People’sCongress and the Local People's Congresses at Different Levels. • Not secret ballot • The number of candidates equal to the number of seats • Elections were suspended during the cultural revolution.

5. A NEW START: Deng Xiaoping (first right), then Vice Premier, explains the Electoral Law at the 22nd Meeting of the Central People's Government in Beijing on February 11, 1953 (XINHUA

6. The 1st National People’s Congress, 1954 第一届全国人大一次会议的代表举手表决

10. The 1979 Election Law Direct elections are held at the township and county levels. The number of candidates should be greater than the number of seats, n > s. Any 10 people can nominate a candidate.

11. In theory, the NPC is the highest organ of state power in China, and all four PRC constitutions have vested it with great lawmaking powers. Since the 1990s, the NPC has become a forum for mediating policy differences between different parts of the Party, the government, and groups of society. However, it is still reckoned as a rubber-stamp for decisions already made by the state's executive organs and the Communist Party of China.

12. The first nay vote in the history of China’s National People’s Congress, March 28, 1988. 照片:1988年3月28日，人大代表黄顺兴在七届全国人大一次会议上发表反对意见。本报记者 贺延光摄

13. The 11th National People’s Congress

14. The 12th Congress was held on March 5, 2013

15. National People’s Congress Taiwan Representatives: 13 seats, selected among the Taiwan compatriots. 台湾省全国人大代表由在中国大陆各省、自治区、直辖市和中国人民解放军的台灣省籍人士中选出，名額13人。选举办法是，由在各省、自治区、直辖市、和中央国家机关、中国人民解放军中的台灣省籍同胞派代表到北京协商选举产生。协商选举会议的代表根据台灣省籍同胞分布情况确定的分配名额，由各省、自治区、直辖市人大常委会负责组织协商选定。 12th Congress Representatives of Taiwan: 孔令智、朱台青、江尔雄（女）、杨晓红（女）、汪毅夫、张雄、张晓东、陈军（女，高山族）、陈云英（女）、陈清海、陈蔚文、符之冠、廖海鹰 Hong Kong Representatives: 36, Macau: 12, Taiwan: 13

16. Although there is no legal requirement for either membership in or approval by the Communist Party of China, in practice the membership of the higher people's congresses are determined by the Party. It is possible for a dedicated person to campaign for and be elected at the lowest level of people's congresses, and this occurs from time to time. However because of the series of indirect elections between the local people's congress and the NPC, it is practically impossible for a person to be elected to provincial or national people's congresses against the wishes of the Communist Party.

17. Local People’s Congress Elections – Independent Candidates There are a small number of independent candidates for people's congress, particularly in neighborhoods of major cities, who sometimes campaign using weibos posted on the internet. Independent candidates are strongly discouraged and face government intervention in their campaigns. 中国基层人大换届中的“独立参选人”－ a Voice of American report http://www.voachinese.com/content/article-20120103-independent-candidate-china-136582243/792534.html

19. 交大独立参选人——张映伟在演讲

21. Thirteen independent candidates were suing Beijing police for harassment, December 7, 2012. 北京地方人大选举遭剥夺选举资格的13名参选人周三到东城区法院提诉，法院至今未回覆是否立案。

22. Research Questions? Who are more likely to become an independent candidate? What have we learned from other countries’ experiences? “公安部国内安全保卫局（支队）”（简称国保）－－FBI

24. The Key to Bringing Democracy to China It's naked self-interest, stupid. BY YASHENG HUANG | NOVEMBER 19, 2012 http://www.foreignpolicy.com/articles/2012/11/19/the_key_to_bringing_democracy_to_china

25. 听说 I heard people said that … 希望树