China starts elections for CPC national congress

BEIJING -- The Central Committee of the Communist Party of China (CPC) Wednesday released guidelines on the election of delegates to the Party's 19th National Congress, marking the beginning of the election.

A total of 2,300 delegates will be elected by 40 electoral units across the country. The election will be completed by June next year, according to a statement from the CPC Central Committee.

The statement said there should be 15 percent more candidates than the number of available posts.

Delegates to the 19th National Congress of the CPC should be excellent Party members, the statement said, adding that candidates' beliefs, political integrity and moral qualities were their most important qualities.

During the election process intra-Party democracy and discipline should be priorities, according to the statement, which added that the delegate structure should be improved and the election procedure standardized.

The quota of delegates from front line workers, such as factory workers, will be increased; and model workers, farmers and professionals should be recommended for election, according to the statement, which made it clear that the delegates should come from all walks of life.

Female delegates and ethnic minorities should account for a certain proportion of the total, the statement said.

The CPC now has more than 88 million members across the country, up from 80-million five years ago.

The Standing Committee of the Political Bureau of the CPC Central Committee and the Political Bureau drafted the general rules and tasks of the election guidelines.

The Organization Department of the CPC Central Committee made detailed arrangements for the election.

The 18th Central Committee of the CPC decided at its sixth plenary session in October that the Party's 19th National Congress would be held in Beijing in the second half of 2017. The congress typically convenes once every five years.

The Party's national congress is of great importance. It hears and deliberates the reports of the Central Committee and the Central Commission for Discipline Inspection.

In the national congress, delegates also discuss and decide major issues of the Party and elect a new central committee and the anti-graft body.

The CPC Central Committee called for adherence to the Party's leadership, democracy in the election, and taking a bottom-up approach to carrying out the work, the statement said, also calling for grassroots Party organizations and members to join the election.

All Party organizations are urged to strengthen leadership over the election, the statement said.

The CPC Central Committee called on all Party organizations to strengthen discipline in elections to prevent bribery and corruption.

The authority will take a "zero-tolerance" attitude toward any violations in the election, and supervision work will be strengthened.

The 19th National Congress of the CPC is a key meeting, as China works to build an all-round moderately prosperous society, and election work is an important foundation for success of the meeting, the statement said.