The changing face of local politics in the countryside

On Dec 25, I saw thousands of people flocking to the polling station in Xiaogang village, Anhui province, for the election of deputies to the local people’s congress. The sight reminded me of an experience I had about 12 years ago.

I was born and raised in rural Changfeng county in Hefei, the capital of Anhui province, which is about two hours by road from Xiaogang. Before I left the countryside to attend college, elections were held in the village every few years.

The elections for village cadres were considered the most important event by my fellow villagers, and competition between candidates, for the post of village head, often contested by just two people, was often extremely fierce.

In the countryside, most people know each other well — after all, many are relatives and friends. As a result, the candidates sometimes knew whose votes they could rely on, so they would try their best to persuade villagers who had migrated to the cities to return for the ballot.

In my last year at high school, I was brought back to the village to vote, even though it was a school day and the village was a long way distant. It was the first time I had participated in an election, and I was excited, not only because it meant an unexpected day off from boring school, but more important, because I knew my vote counted.

To be frank, some of my fellow villagers didn’t attach equal importance to the election for deputies to the local people’s congress at the time.

My experience in Xiaogang made me realize that the situation has changed in recent years.

The villagers told me that they have benefited because the proposals the deputies submitted to the local government have helped the village to develop and modernize.