Delegates raise hands for a vote during the closing session of the 17th National Congress of the Communist Party of China (CPC) at the Great Hall of the People in Beijing, capital of China, Oct. 21, 2007. The 17th CPC National Congress closed here on Sunday. (Xinhua/Li Xueren)

The Communist Party of China (CPC) had shown greater determination to broaden intra-Party democracy with larger elimination margins introduced to the elections of the Party's central leading bodies.

The 17th CPC National Congress elected here Sunday 204 full members and 167 alternate members of the CPC Central Committee, which will make key decisions in the coming five years. The congress also elected 127 members of the Central Commission for Discipline Inspection.

The nominees for primary elections were 8.3 percent more than the elected members of the CPC Central Committee, 9.6 percent more than the seats for alternate members, and 8.7 percent more than the positions in the Central Commission for Discipline Inspection.

The margins were bigger than those at the 16th CPC National Congress in 2002, indicating a sign of progress of intra-Party democracy. It was the fifth time that competitive election was used at the CPC congresses.

The margins five years ago were roughly five percent.

A total of 183 elected full members and alternate members of the new central committee are new comers, accounting for 49.3 percent of the decision-making body. New comers to the 127-membersCentral Commission for Discipline Inspection are even more, with 79.5 percent in the whole body.

Seventy-five out of the CPC Central Committee are under 50 years old, with 22 younger than 45 years. A total of 37 are females and 40 are from ethnic minorities. About 92.2 percent received at least university degrees. The Central Committee also group nine academicians from the Chinese Academy of Sciences or the Chinese Academy of Engineering.

To select candidates for the elections, the CPC dispatched in mid 2006 about 60 investigation teams to central and local Party and government departments, financial institutions, key state-owned enterprises and armed forces units, reviewing possible nominees among 43,300 Party cadres recommended to the selection pool.

The Party members who were under review were 43.4 percent more than those for the 16th CPC central leadership election five years ago.

Political integrity, particularly faith, political viewpoints and attitudes, performance at pivotal times on vital issues, was on the top priority in reviewing Party cadres who were recommended, said an official with the Party's organization department.

The official said the CPC was determined to choose honest, diligent, down-to-earth and capable cadres over flatulent, vaunting, flip-flop and bad-received officials.

The CPC also put implementation of the Scientific Outlook on Development as one important standard, according to the official. The scientific outlook requires concerted and coordinated economic and social development.

The investigation teams reviewed not only growth of gross domestic product, but also public safety, environmental protection, taxation and social welfare data collected from statistics authorities.

The investigation teams dispatched to various regions and departments talked to about 130,000 Party cadres and ordinary people, collecting recommendation, appraisal and judgment from them.

They organized extensive opinion surveys on candidates' performance and personal integrity, the official said.

The Standing Committee of the Political Bureau of the 16th CPC Central Committee convened nine times to listen to the reports from the investigation teams and narrowed down the name-list for review by the presidium of the 17th CPC National Congress.

During the investigation, the team staff organized opinion surveys among 33,500 cadres and people who were working with those under review. What were reviewed on the possible nominees mainly included their working style, performance and public image. 
Some people who had been surveyed said that the investigations showed the resolve of the Party's central authorities to expand democracy and let the people know about, participate in, comment on and watch over electoral activities, according to the official.

Editor: Yan