Chinese President Xi Jinping, also general secretary of the Communist Party of China Central Committee and chairman of the Central Military Commission, casts his ballot at a polling station to elect deputies to the Xicheng district people's congress, in Huairentang, Zhongnanhai electoral district in Xicheng District of Beijing, capital of China, Nov 5, 2021. (JU PENG/XINHUA)
BEIJING – Chinese President Xi Jinping reiterated on Friday the importance of furthering the nation's whole-process people's democracy to better ensure that the people run the country, as he took part in the election of people's congress deputies in Beijing.
Xi, who is also general secretary of the Communist Party of China Central Committee and chairman of the Central Military Commission, cast his vote for people's congress deputies at a polling station in the Zhongnanhai electoral district in the capital's Xicheng district.
It is important to integrate democratic elections with democratic consultation, decision-making, management and oversight to keep advancing whole-process people's democracy, president Xi said
Xi arrived at the polling station at around 10:30 am Friday, gave his elector's card to staff, and got a ballot. He cast his ballot after filling it.
Voting took place for people's congress deputies at county and district level across the city on Friday, with 4,898 district people's congress deputies and 11,137 township people's congress deputies expected to be elected.
The president told polling station workers that the election of people's congress deputies is the foundation of the nation's people's congress system and a key embodiment of the nation being run by the people.
It is important to integrate democratic elections with democratic consultation, decision-making, management and oversight to keep advancing whole-process people's democracy, he said.
He called for stronger oversight over the whole electoral process, saying that wrongdoings in this must be resolutely investigated to ensure a healthy and clean electoral process and public satisfaction with election results.
Other senior leaders also took part in the election in their respective electoral districts on Friday. Li Keqiang, Li Zhanshu, Wang Yang, Wang Huning, Zhao Leji, and Han Zheng cast their ballots in person, while Wang Qishan entrusted a staff member to vote on his behalf.
Jiang Zemin and Hu Jintao also entrusted others to vote on their behalf, respectively.
With Xinhua inputs