Also, worker delegates must take up 10 percent of the total and should be made up of those from public and private enterprises in industrial and service sectors.

"The 'two percentage points' seem insignificant, but ... there will be more frontline delegates to better reflect the mass grassroots Party members' opinions and voices," said Wang with the CAG.

In south China's Guangdong Province, 34.8 percent of the 69 elected delegates come from the basic level, with nine worker delegates and five farmer delegates.

In north China's Hebei Province, 32.26 percent of the 62 elected delegates come from grassroots groups, with seven worker delegates.

In east China's Jiangsu Province, delegates from Party organizations at basic level took up 38.6 percent of the total and nine of them were worker delegates, including one migrant worker.

In addition, the CPC Central Committee required that the number of candidates should be at least 15 percent greater than the number of available posts. The rule has been followed in the elections.

According to the Organization Department of the CPC Central Committee, delegates of the 18th CPC National Congress will be elected through five steps—nomination and recommendation, investigation and inspection, publication of the list of potential candidates, confirmation of candidates, and selection of delegates.

"Every delegate must go through a comprehensive review and assessment of their performance to make sure they are outstanding candidates and can represent their group's interests," said Chen Zhigang, a professor on Party research with the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences.

Cheng Junrong is a migrant worker and a delegate from Jiangsu. He is working at the Nanjing-based Chinese People's Liberation Army No. 5311 Factory. As one of the factory's top technical experts, Cheng has been honored several times as a national and provincial model worker since 1994.

"Moreover, Cheng is also a deputy to our country's top legislature, the National People's Congress, so he is experienced in giving suggestions regarding social and political issues," said Xu Ketang, the factory's CPC committee secretary.

Cheng's election came after undergoing the five-step procedure.

The process began with 22,718 grassroots CPC units under the Nanjing Municipal CPC Committee nominating 7,375 people as candidates.

After selections by CPC committees at various levels, the Nanjing Municipal CPC Committee worked out a nomination list of seven people, including Cheng, for the provincial committee.

Then, the provincial CPC committee put 81 candidates, including two nominated by the central CPC committee, up for a final vote at the provincial party congress.

Finally, 70 delegates to the CPC National Congress were elected on May 14 this year, with the candidates outnumbering the elected delegates by 15.7 percent, higher than the minimum of 15 percent required by the CPC Central Committee. Cheng became the province's first migrant worker delegate elected to the CPC National Congress.

"The election results show that the CPC Central Committee has attached more importance to giving a greater voice to grassroots Party members," Cheng said. "I'll strive to do my job well as a delegate to the congress and make suggestions on behalf of migrant workers."

In addition, more measures have been taken to publicize democracy to encourage broader voter participation.

The 3.89 million grassroots CPC units nationwide have been mobilized to take part in the elections. In Guangdong, about 4.6 million CPC members of 203,000 grassroots units are engaged in nominating candidates, accounting for 99.1 percent of the province's total CPC members. The rate in Jiangsu was 99.58 percent.

In Jiangsu's Kunshan City, 586 floating Party members have participated in the primary election of delegates.

In central China's Hunan Province, CPC organs have sent 4.13 million text messages about the election.

Petro China Daqing Oil Field extended the election to 156 overseas organizations via letters, Internet, text messages and phone calls, obtaining a 100-percent participation rate.

Alibaba Group, running the country's leading e-commerce sites, has enabled about 2,700 young CPC members to take part in the election through online conferences.

Party Congress System

- Communist Party of China (CPC) committees at central and local levels hold Party congresses every five years.

- The highest level is the CPC National Congress, the main functions of which are to elect members to the Central Committee and the Central Commission for Discipline Inspection.

- Terms of these committees last a maximum of five years. The national congress hears and examines reports from these bodies.

- Members of the national congress traditionally meet in autumn, although this can be brought forward if the Central Committee deems it necessary or if more than one-third of provincial-level committees request to do so.

- The CPC Central Committee meets in plenary sessions at least once a year, during which members of its Political Bureau will report and receive oversight.

- When the national congress is not in session, the CPC Central Committee carries out its resolutions, directs the work of the Party and represents the CPC in its external relations.

- When the CPC Central Committee is not meeting, the Political Bureau and its Standing Committee exercise the body's powers.

- As well as congresses, Party committees at provincial, prefecture and county levels meet in plenary sessions at least twice a year.

(Source: Xinhua News Agency)

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