Guangdong Uses New System to Pick City-Level Leaders

China News Digest, 6 April 2002

[CND, 04/06/02] Guangdong recently filled three senior city-level posts through secret ballet vote by the provincial party committee members, the South China Morning Post reported Friday, quoting the official Xinhua News Agency.

The voting was taking place in a meeting on Wednesday, in which the committee members was asked to cast votes on candidates for the party bosses for Qingyuan and Maoming cities and the mayor for Zhanjiang city. All three candidates won the endorsements, but it is not clear if anyone has voted against them or abstained.

The candidates, who were recommended by the standing committee of the provincial party committee, were chosen after extensive screening, including consulting with the Organization Department, gathering inputs from their supervisors and colleagues, and discussing within the standing committee.

Guangdong has become the first province in China requiring officials at the city-level to be endorsed by the provincial party committee through secret ballets. The southern province is also considering implementing a similar approach for selecting top officials of county and township. (LIU Weijun)