Overseas support for local candidates can promote Westernization: expert
Citizens standing in elections for People's Congress deputies at different levels in Southwest China's Chongqing Municipality are prohibited from receiving foreign funds, according to a newly passed regulation, a timely measure experts believe will preclude foreign intervention in China's domestic affairs.
The new regulation issued by the Standing Committee of the Chongqing People's Congress prohibits candidates from either directly or indirectly receiving any form of support from foreign institutions, organizations or individuals. It also stipulates that those who accept foreign funding will have their candidacy annulled or will be removed from office if already elected, the Chongqing Daily reported Saturday.
"With the growth of China's global influence in recent years, some foreign foes are eager to interfere in China's domestic affairs by sponsoring candidates. Thus the regulation is timely and reasonable," Gan Chaoying, a law professor with Peking University, told the Global Times on Wednesday.
Deputies of People's Congresses are the representatives of the Chinese people, so it is unacceptable for candidates who receive funds from foreign organizations or individuals to speak for those groups, Gan added.
On March 24, Beijing passed a similar regulation governing the municipality's elections.
Both regulations came after a draft amendment to the Election Law submitted to the National People's Congress Standing Committee in August 2015 stipulated that Chinese citizens running for office as lawmakers be forbidden from receiving campaign support from foreign organizations or individuals, the Xinhua News Agency reported.
"Elections are the core of a country's domestic affairs, and most countries have specific laws banning candidates from receiving foreign funds," Su Wei, a professor at the Party School of the Chongqing Committee, told the Global Times.
According to U.S. law, "a foreign national, directly or indirectly," cannot lawfully "make a contribution or donation of money or other thing of value in connection with federal, state or local elections."
However, China currently does not have a specific law regulating donations to election campaigns, Gan said.
Since county- and township-level deputies are elected directly, foreign funding for grass-roots elections can promote "Westernization," Su said.
Experts have also noted that many people are indifferent to voting unless they are offered benefits, so foreign support may also lead to bribery in elections.
In China, representatives to local People's Congresses at the county and township levels are directly elected and constitute over 90 percent of legislators at all levels nationwide.
Grass-roots elections for China's county and township People's Congresses are held every five years and will be conducted in 2016.
