Zero tolerance of electoral corruption: NPC spokeswoman

There is zero tolerance of any corruption in legislative elections, and anyone who violates election laws will be severely punished, a spokeswoman for the top legislature said on Tuesday.

"We will never allow any behavior that challenges the people's congress system," said Fu Ying, spokeswoman for the second session of the 12th National People's Congress, which is to kick off on Wednesday.

"No matter whom they are, where they are, if they buy votes or have other conduct that disrupts elections, they will be dealt with seriously. There is no exception," she said.

Fu made the remarks while answering a question concerning an electoral fraud in Hengyang, the second-largest city in Hunan province.

The central discipline watchdog said at the end of last year that its inspection team in Hunan had investigated 431 members of the Communist Party of China and government workers on suspicion of electoral fraud in December 2012 and January 2013.

The news followed a statement from the provincial legislature that more than 500 local lawmakers had been disqualified, dismissed or had resigned over the electoral fraud in Hengyang.

Altogether 527 city lawmakers were present at the election of provincial lawmakers during the first session of the 14th Hengyang people's congress between Dec 28, 2012, and Jan 3, 2013. Preliminary investigations have shown that the 56 lawmakers elected offered 110 million yuan ($18 million) in bribes to 518 city lawmakers and another 68 staff.

"It's the most serious case of election order breaching since the establishment of our people's congress system," Fu said at Tuesday's conference. "There are clear stipulations (to ban and punish) corruption in elections in electoral laws and criminal laws," she said.

"We'll never tolerate any challenge to the system and the relevant people have been punished according to the law." Fu said deputies are representatives of the people and shoulder obligations entrusted by the Constitution and laws. "Deputies should have respect for the people and awe of the law."