Final Report of the Carter Center Limited Assessment Mission to the March 2010 Villagers Committee Elections in Yunnan Province, China One Copenhill 453 Freedom Parkway Atlanta, GA 30307 (404)420-5100 Fax (404)420-5196 www.cartercenter.org May 2010 The Carter Center Contents Executive Summary . 4 Carter Center Targeted Missions in China . 6 The Carter Center China Program Overview . 6 Past Election Observation Missions . 8 2010 Targeted Mission in Yunnan Province . 9 Villager Committee Election in Hetao Village . 9 Villager Committee Election in Zhongping village . 11 China’s Village Elections and Political Climate in 2010 . 13 Conclusions and Recommendations . 16 Appendices . 18 Appendix A: Carter Center Delegation and Staff . 18 Appendix B: 2010 Village Election Observation Checklist. 19 The Carter Center at a Glance . 23 1 The Carter Center Yunnan Province, The People’s Republic of China Nations United The Source: Area 394000 sq Km Location South-western China GDP RMB 185.57 billion Provincial Capital Kunming Per Capita GDP RMB 4,452 Population 42.88 million Ethnic Groups: Yi, Bai, Hani, Zhuang, Dai, Miao, Lisu, Hui, Lahu, Va, Naxi, Yao, Tibetan, Jing- pos, Blang, Achang, Nu, Primi, Jino, De'ang, Mongolian and Derung. Agriculture: Yunnan's major crops are rice, maize, wheat, tuber crops, peas and beans, rape seed, peanuts, tobacco, tea, cotton, sugar-cane, and fruits. 2 The Carter Center Map of Yunnan Province Yanjin County 3 The Carter Center Executive Summary ne of the most important demo- has worked to help standardize the vast array cratic experiments of the last 25 of electoral procedures taking place in this Oyears has been the movement in new democratic environment and foster bet- more than 600,000 villages across China to- ter governance in local communities. Since ward open, competitive elections, allowing 75 1996, The Carter Center has observed numer- percent of the nation’s 1.3 billion people to ous village elections, provided training to local elect their local leaders. government officials on electoral procedures, and helped conduct a nation-wide survey on For over a decade, at the invitation of the villager self-governance. Chinese Ministry of Civil Affairs and the Na- tional People’s Congress, The Carter Center Sean Ding Election officials guarding ballot box after voting in Zhongping Village. March 10, 2010. 4 The Carter Center Current state of village elections sight of and punishment for bribery and other corrupt behavior. In December 2009, the Na- Currently, villager committee elections face tional People’s Congress (NPC) put forth numerous challenges that affect the quality of these suggestions as draft amendments to the village election procedures and the effective- Organic Law. While they continue to face ness of villager self-governance. First, many many challenges, villager committee elections young, educated villagers have migrated to remain the only institution through which cities to take on various jobs, effectively caus- candidates can openly compete and electors ing a brain drain (as well as a drain of would- can experience true electoral choice. be voters) in the countryside. Second, the Chinese government’s momentous decision to Election observation in 2010 eliminate all villager taxes and fees has left villages with no way to raise revenue. Third, At the invitation of the Ministry of Civil Af- in places where village enterprises fairs, The Carter Center will are vibrant, corruption also flou- observe villager committee rishes, with more cases of vote The Carter Center has elections in Yanjin County, buying and voter intimidation. observed numerous Zhaotong Prefecture, Yunnan Lastly, there has been a signifi- Province in March 2010. This village elections, and is the first time the Center has cant policy shift by the Chinese provided training to central government to focus on observed village elections delivery of public goods, but local government offi- since 2005. cials on electoral pro- without allowing villager auton- This observation mission is a omy in managing these goods cedures. rare opportunity for foreign and services, thus causing rising experts to witness the latest resentment. development in China’s expe- In spite of these problems, direct village riment with grassroots democracy. Although committee elections are still held every three The Carter Center was only able to observe years, involving the participation of 900 mil- elections in two villages in its March 2010 lion Chinese villagers. On May 30, 2009, the mission, it continues to monitor villager General Office of the State Council and the committee elections as well as democratic General Office of the Communist Party of reform measures adopted at other levels of the China Central Committee released a circu- government through the China Elections and lar, titled “Strengthening and Improving Vil- Governance (www.chinaelections.org) web lage Committee Elections,” aiming to streng- site. With the increasing awareness of political then the organization and leadership of elec- participation among the Chinese public, The toral activities, standardize election proce- Carter Center believes that villager committee dures, and provide stricter over elections will continue to play an important role in China’s political transformation. 5 The Carter Center Carter Center Targeted Missions in China resident Jimmy Carter made the brave websites offer an online platform for China and momentous decision to normalize watchers and Chinese citizens to deliberate on P relations with China in December the necessity of and means to promote politi- 1978. Since leaving the White House, he has cal transformation in China. The websites, continued to offer his support to China located at www.chinaelections.org (Chinese) through programs working with the disabled. and www.chinaelections.net (English), serve More recently, at the invitation of the Chinese as an online information center for those who government, President Carter, through The monitor, promote or debate political reform Carter Center has provided assistance and ad- in China. It is also the largest free data center vice to Chinese election officials in standardiz- analyzing and reporting on electoral and go- ing village election procedures and fostering vernance innovation. better local governance. Today, while continu- ing to monitor local elections, the program is focused on rural and urban community build- ing, and civic education about rights, laws, Sean Ding and political participation. Advancing Political Reform In addition to conducting voter education and monitoring direct local elections, the program cooperates with Chinese partners to introduce better election procedures and strengthen the capacity of elected deputies to oversee gov- ernment performance. The program has formed close relationships with academic and nongovernmental organizations in China to advance political and social change. Opening Internet Dialogue Web sites sponsored by The Carter Center have become an important portal for political reform in China, engaging large audiences with articles in both Chinese and English. The Election officials pour ballots out of ballot box in Zhongping Village. March 10, 2010. 6 The Carter Center Community Development The Center recognizes that meaningful de- tion, China recently marked a turning point mocracy requires informed and involved citi- toward greater transparency in government zens. To that end, the program works in rural operations. To enhance citizen knowledge of villages, in cooperation with China's Ministry their new rights, the Center has created of Civil Affairs, to expand channels for civic www.chinatransparency.org, an Internet clea- participation and build volunteer corps. In ringhouse including all of the new regulations urban areas, the program works with local and comparative studies of successful access nongovernmental organizations to address the to information practices in other nations. The rights and practical needs of new homeowners. Center also will create exchanges among access to information officials and scholars in Access to Information China. With implementation of new regulations that give citizens access to government informa- Steve Maxwell Liu Yong, 33, candidate for Hetao villager committee chair, delivers campaign speech. March 10, 2010 7 The Carter Center Past Village Election Assessment Missions 1996 Dr. Robert Pastor, Carter Center Fellow, holds intensive meetings with senior officials in the Ministry of Civil Affairs (MCA) on comparative election experiences, visits 3 villages in Shandong province and interviews numerous officials and villagers on village elections. The Carter Center is invited by the Department of Basic Level Governance at the MCA to observe and advise the spring 1997 village committee elections in Fujian province. 1997 A 7-person international delegation led by Dr. Pastor observes village committee elections in Fujian and Hebei provinces and holds discussions in Beijing. 1998 A 9-person team led by Dr. Pastor observes elections in 7 villages and interviews officials of 2 villag- es where elections had just been conducted in Jilin and Liaoning provinces. 1999 Dr. Yawei Liu and Mr. Thomas Crick work with the Times-Warner news tour to observe a villager committee election in Liujiachang Village, Xiantao City, Hubei Province. 2000 At the invitation of the MCA, The Carter Center sends a delegation to observe villager committee (VC) elections in Hebei Province. The delegation is led by Ambassador Gordon L. Streeb,