Hukou reform under way, no provision on migrant workers' voting rights for now

Wang Zhaoguo, Vice Chairman of the Standing Committee of the National People's Congress, delivers an explanation on the draft amendment to the Electoral Law to the congress.

At 9 a.m. today, the Third Session of the Eleventh National People's Congress held its second plenary meeting at the Great Hall of the People, hearing Wang Zhaoguo, Vice Chairman of the Standing Committee of the National People's Congress, explain the draft amendment to the Electoral Law of the National People's Congress and Local People's Congresses of the People's Republic of China. China.com.cn carried a live broadcast.

Wang Zhaoguo pointed out that some members of the Standing Committee and some localities proposed that clear provisions should be made on how the floating population, mainly composed of migrant workers, can participate in direct elections at the county and township levels in their current places of work. Upon study, it was concluded that this issue involves a wide range of areas and is fairly complex, and that China's hukou system reform is in the process of being advanced, so the conditions for solving this problem are not yet in place. Therefore, this revision of the Electoral Law may leave the matter without provision for the time being. All localities may, in accordance with the spirit of relevant documents on the work of people's congress elections, adopt effective measures to safeguard the right to vote and the right to stand for election of migrant workers and other members of the floating population.

Wang Zhaoguo stressed that, in accordance with the principle of “three equalities” and based on the reality of China's economic and social development, implementing elections of people's congress deputies by the same population ratio in urban and rural areas is an important part of upholding and improving the people's congress system and an important measure for developing socialist democracy. It will further safeguard urban and rural residents' equal right to vote, advance the continuous development of China's human rights cause, and is of major and far-reaching historical significance for fully mobilizing the enthusiasm of all sides, coordinating urban and rural development, and promoting social harmony. Let us, with a high sense of political responsibility and mission, deliberate and revise the draft amendment to the Electoral Law well.