China's top legislature on Tuesday confirmed the disqualification of 45 deputies for their involvement in electoral fraud, a move showcasing the central leadership's resolve to root out corruption, strictly govern the Communist Party of China (CPC) and enhance the rule of law.
This development came as a fresh round of elections has started to reshuffle government leaders and legislators at local levels, sending a stern warning to anyone with the idea of winning through fraudulent means.
The 45 deputies to the National People's Congress, elected from the Liaoning Provincial People's Congress, committed vote buying and bribery during the election in 2013.
The electoral fraud, the first of its kind to have taken place at the provincial level since the People's Republic of China was founded in 1949, seriously violated the Party's discipline, state laws, as well as political discipline and rules.
It also severely breached organizational discipline and sabotaged the electoral systems of the Party and the people's congress system.
With the disqualification of the 45 deputies, the central leadership has demonstrated its zero tolerance toward vote buying and firm commitment to fighting corruption.
Any violation of Party discipline and state laws, no matter who is involved, or how many are involved, will be dealt with in a thorough manner, and the guilty will be given no leniency.
Maintaining a "high voltage" crackdown on electoral fraud will help safeguard the people's congress system, which is China's basic political system.
The people's congress system is a fundamental institutional arrangement that integrates the principles of upholding the Party's leadership, the people being masters of the country and implementing the rule of law.
The people's congress electoral system constitutes an important part of the country's socialist democracy and rule of law.
Whether the election is fair or not directly decides whether citizens' rights to elect and to be elected are respected, and whether lawmakers at various levels can truly represent the people's interests.
Vote buying, a blatant challenge to the people's congress system and socialist democracy, must be eradicated.
Starting this year, a new round of elections will reshuffle legislators and government leaders at the township and county levels, involving more than 900 million voters nationwide.
Holding clean and fair elections will be vital for upholding the political development path of socialism with Chinese characteristics, reinforcing the CPC's governing status and safeguarding the people's rights as masters of their country.
