Society

Villagers thrilled with role in democracy

By Qiu Quanlin (China Daily)
Updated: 2011-05-26 08:04

NANXIONG, Guangdong - Li Zehua, a 45-year-old villager who was recently invited to participate in a Party committee meeting, is still savoring his first taste of grassroots democracy.

After two hours listening to a discussion by Party members about the nominations of officials in the local urban administration bureau, Li, who hails from Nanxiong, a county-level jurisdiction in Guangdong province, was asked to share his opinion.

"I had never dreamed of participating in such a meeting," he said. "They are usually closed-door events."

Li's role at the meeting was to give his opinion in written form to the city's top decision-making committee after first hearing the Party members' discussion.

"The organization department (of the local Party committee) will give an explanation to me later if I did not agree with their nomination," he said.

Li's participation in the city Party committee's meeting happened because of a program introduced by the local discipline inspection authority in 2009 that allows villagers to play a supervising role in some key government affairs.

"The program helps develop an open and transparent government," said Luo Yongxin, director of the city's discipline inspection committee.

The initiative, called the Sunshine Program, is believed to be the first of its kind in China and is aimed at introducing grassroots democracy.

Selected villagers will be able to play a role in key decision-making, personnel appointments, projects and the use of funds.

"There are at least one or two members from each village," said Luo, who said the program now has more than 300 grassroots members.

To get involved, villagers can introduce themselves to their local village committees and the lucky few who will take part is decided by the drawing of lots.

"It is a traditional, but very effective way to decide their membership," Luo said of the notion of drawing lots.