Village election follows new allegations of corruption

Lin Zulian, who has led Wukan, a village in Guangdong province, since his election two years ago, has been re-elected as head of the village committee.

Lin, 68, received 5,019 votes of the more than 8,248 cast on Monday - about 60 percent. Voters praised his selflessness and compassion during his previous two years of leadership in the village, which has been plagued by corruption among other past leaders.

Acknowledging the voters' trust and support, Lin described how the village has sought to end its problems - primarily development issues - through negotiation and concession.

"The new committee will be faithful to our populace and never give up, despite difficulties," he said.

The village came into the media spotlight in 2011, when rallies and protests against corruption caught the public's attention. Those rallies were followed by the election of a new village leadership in 2012.

The latest election, held on Monday and Tuesday, made headlines again amid recent charges of corruption against some village officials.

In March, deputy village chiefs Yang Semao and Hong Ruichao were detained by police and accused of taking bribes. The allegations followed earlier charges of corruption among village officials dating to 2011 that were widely reported in the media.

Lin said he is extremely distressed by projects lying unfinished in his village because of the corruption.

"This village committee was elected by the villagers themselves, but the mistakes of previous leaders were repeated less than a year later. This is cause for deep introspection," Lin said.

The scandals had a limited effect on the election, he said, but he added that problems must be exposed so that new leaders do not repeat past errors. Villagers have a right to know the truth, he said.

Wukan's latest election was by secret ballot with the votes counted in public. A total of 8,248 ballots were cast at the polling station on Monday from an electorate numbering more than 9,000.

Lin was elected outright. Other committee members were chosen in Tuesday's runoff, as no other candidate claimed the required quota for victory in Monday's first round.

"The result is normal," said Huang Yongqing, a local voter.

Anyone above the age of 18 can vote, and voting by proxy is permitted with proper documentation.

On Monday, Wu Luping, 53, was entrusted by his family with casting a total of seven votes. Another villager voted on behalf of 10 people, because he had documents giving him power of attorney.

"Without the documents, you cannot vote for others, including members of your family," Wu said.

Wu said he expects a "capable" village committee this time around.

"We can't believe that the second committee we elected in 2012 was also corrupt," Wu said. "The next committee should talk less and do more. Corruption must not rear its head again."

Huang Yongqing, who works in Shenzhen, traveled 400 kilometers to cast his vote. "Only through electing an unselfish leadership can the village keep on the right track," Huang said.

Former village committee deputy chief Yang Semao, who is out of jail on bail and awaiting trial on bribery charges, won more than 2,000 votes in the race to head up the new committee, a distant second to Lin.

He also received more than 1,000 votes in an attempt to become deputy director, but he decided to give way to other candidates, claiming that he needs "a bigger role" to display his true capabilities.

"I believe that the committee must take a hard line to hack through the thicket of problems that Wukan faces," Yang said.

Yang's aggressive approach is precisely what Lin disagrees with. Problems such as land disputes are caused by a host of complex factors that cannot be solved with radical approaches, Lin said.

"When it comes to land disputes, for example, we need to take into account the opinions of other villages. This not only takes time but requires compromise."

Governments at provincial and city levels have earmarked tens of millions of yuan to improve life in the village. Beyond these government funds, the village has little collective income.

"Development relies largely on the government's financial support," said Zhang Jinshui, the village's deputy Party chief. "Wukan's economic activities are bogged down partly because of persistent protests."