President Xi Jinping emphasized the need to practice whole-process people's democracy and ensure the election of deputies who meet the people's expectations, as he cast his ballot in a local people's congress election in Beijing on Friday.
Xi, who is also general secretary of the Communist Party of China Central Committee and chairman of the Central Military Commission, voted at the Huairentang polling station in the Zhongnanhai electoral district in Beijing's Xicheng district to elect deputies to the Xicheng district people's congress.
He underscored that electing people's congress deputies is the foundation for upholding, improving and effectively operating the people's congress system, and a major event in the country's political life.
Xi called for practicing whole-process people's democracy, upholding Party leadership, giving full play to democracy and acting in strict accordance with the law.
He also urged stronger oversight throughout the electoral process to ensure that elections proceed in the right direction and in a clean and upright atmosphere, and that the elected deputies meet the people's expectations.
The people's congress system is China's fundamental political system, with the National People's Congress serving as the supreme organ of State power. Deputies serve five-year terms, with voters directly electing representatives at the county and township levels. Deputies to people's congresses above the county level are elected by deputies at the next lower level.
On Friday afternoon, Li Qiang, Zhao Leji, Wang Huning, Cai Qi, Ding Xuexiang and Li Xi cast their ballots in person, while Han Zheng entrusted a staff member to vote on his behalf. Hu Jintao also entrusted a staff member to vote on his behalf.
Ballots were cast at 13,054 polling stations across Beijing to elect 4,898 new deputies to district-level people's congresses and 11,137 deputies to township-level people's congresses.
