Xi votes in local legislative election in Beijing

BEIJING, Nov. 6 (Xinhua) -- Chinese President Xi Jinping cast his ballot at a polling station in Beijing on Friday to elect deputies to a local people's congress.

Xi, also general secretary of the Communist Party of China Central Committee and chairman of the Central Military Commission, voted at the Huairentang polling station of the Zhongnanhai electoral district in Xicheng District to elect deputies to the Xicheng district people's congress.

Photo: Xinhua

Xi stressed efforts to practice whole-process people's democracy, uphold Party leadership, and strengthen oversight throughout the election process to ensure that deputies who meet the people's expectations are elected.

Around 3:30 p.m. Friday, Xi arrived at the polling station, gave his voter registration card to staff for verification, and got a ballot. He cast his ballot after filling it.

Noting that the election of deputies to people's congresses is an important foundation for upholding, improving and practicing the people's congress system, Xi underlined the need to give full play to democracy, strictly act in accordance with the law, and ensure that the election is carried out fairly and cleanly.

On Friday afternoon, other senior Chinese leaders Li Qiang, Zhao Leji, Wang Huning, Cai Qi, Ding Xuexiang and Li Xi cast their ballots in person, while Han Zheng entrusted a staff member to vote on his behalf.

Former Chinese leader Hu Jintao also entrusted a staff member to vote on his behalf.

Friday saw people vote at 13,054 polling stations across Beijing to elect 4,898 new deputies to the people's congresses at the district level and 11,137 deputies to the township-level people's congresses.