CHINA: China's rebel village of Wukan votes for a new village committee in symbolic election

Record ID: 327700

  • Title: CHINA: China's rebel village of Wukan votes for a new village committee in symbolic election
  • Date: 4th March 2012
  • Summary: FISHING BOATS AT HARBOUR FISHING BOATS
  • Embargoed: 19th March 2012 12:00
  • Keywords:
  • Location: China, China
  • Country: China
  • Topics: Politics
  • Reuters ID: LVA77NHAPAA5G61OKYD89GZLTNFC
  • Story Text: Residents of a southern Chinese fishing village gathered on Saturday (March 3) to elect a new administrative authority that many rights activists are hailing as a new model for greater grassroots democracy in China following an uncompromising standoff over corrupt land grabs and abuse of power.
    Anger at corrupt local officials turned to fury last year when villagers ransacked the Wukan government offices. A few months later, they drove out authorities and barricaded themselves in for 10 days before provincial officials stepped in to resolve the dispute, offering new elections.
    The villagers have now moved beyond organized protests to organized politics in a bid to win back illegally sold farmland and safeguard future rights.
    Some of the village's 12,000 or so residents began gathering outside a local school on Saturday, eager to cast ballots, many backing former protest leaders, included those abducted and jailed in December by authorities, on a seven-person village committee.
    While village elections have been permitted for decades, Wukan has pushed the boundaries, led by a visionary village party secretary and a vanguard of resourceful young activists able to unify the village against higher authorities.
    "The election is very good news for the villagers in Wukan. For the first time in decades, this is a new opportunity for democracy. Both myself and the villagers like this," said Lin Zuluan, Wukan's respected 67-year-old party secretary who is the sole candidate to lead the village committee.
    Behind the scenes, authorities at the city and county level have been exerting a high degree of control, at pains to monitor and curb the influence of the reformist villagers.
    Some fear the corrupt old guard of former village chief Xue Chang, whom many accuse of pocketing millions from selling off collective farmland, is vying to maintain its influence.
    Xue Jianwan, the daughter of Xue Jinbo, a protest leader who was abducted and died in police detention as tensions escalated, is one of around 20 candidates vying for a seat on the village committee.
    She said senior local officials including Lufeng's party secretary Yang Laifa had urged her to drop out of the election.
    Xue said authorities had told her taking part in the poll would mean she could no longer continue in her job as a teacher at a public school because of electoral rules.
    "So I thought of the reasons of why they (the government) kept looking for me so eagerly to dissuade me from running in the elections. So I thought that if I take part in the elections, would I be actually of any help to my fellow villagers. So in the end, I still decided to participate in the elections," said a defiant Xue.
    Other young village leaders who've played a key role in mobilising villagers and publicising a vast web of corruption that saw hundreds of hectares of Wukan farmland sold off illegally, have spoken of extensive surveillance, veiled pressure and fears of reprisals.
    Villagers expressed their joy at being able to truly vote for a candidate they support.
    "I feel very excited because this is the first time since I was born, that I am able to vote for who I want to vote for. Even if the candidate I voted for was not elected in the end, I feel this is my right and this is my democracy," said 25-year-old Zhu Qijie (pron: joo chi-jeea) In February, Wukan elected an election committee to oversee Saturday's proceedings.
    The seven-member village committee due to be elected in Saturday's vote include a village chief and two deputies. The committee will have real power over local finances and the future sale and apportioning of valuable farmland.
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