Independents Enter China’s Political Arena

USA Today reports on a group of netizens in China who are using microblogs and other forums to announce their candidacy for public office:

In recent days, more than 30 people have taken to the Twitter-like Weibo micro-blog to declare their candidacies in elections for district-level people’s congresses this fall. The polls, held every five years, are open to any citizen above 18, though the selection process is tightly managed by the Communist Party.

“I will focus on improving the people’s livelihood,” Xu says.

Other candidates vow to improve education and social welfare. “I’ll use all my meager strength to spur the progress of China’s democratic rule of law,” wrote law professor Wu Danhong on Weibo.

[…] Though their chances may be slim, the modest rise in independent candidacies not nominated by the party that has ruled China for more than six decades suggests a growing desire for more civil rights and responsive government.

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