Decision of the Standing Committee of the National People's Congress on Revising the Electoral Law of the National People's Congress and Local People's Congresses of the People's Republic of China (2020)

Decision of the Standing Committee of the National People's Congress on Revising the Electoral Law of the National People's Congress and Local People's Congresses of the People's Republic of China (Adopted at the 22nd Meeting of the Standing Committee of the Thirteenth National People's Congress on October 17, 2020) At its 22nd meeting, the Standing Committee of the Thirteenth National People's Congress decides to revise the Electoral Law of the National People's Congress and Local People's Congresses of the People's Republic of China as follows:

1. One article is added as Article 2, which reads: "In the election of deputies to the National People's Congress and Local People's Congresses, the leadership of the Communist Party of China shall be adhered to, democracy shall be given full play and the law shall be strictly followed."

2. Article 11 is changed to be Article 12, and Subparagraph (3) of the first paragraph is revised to read: "The base number of deputies to the people's congress of a city not divided into districts, a municipal district, a county or an autonomous county is 140, and one more deputy may be added for every 5,000 people; however, if the population thereof exceeds 1.55 million, the total number of deputies shall not exceed 450; if the population is less than 50,000 people, the total number of deputies may be less than 140."

The Subparagraph (4) of the first paragraph is revised to read: "The base number of deputies for a township, an ethnic township or town is 45, and one more deputy may be added for every 1,500 people; however, the total number of deputies shall not exceed 160; if the population thereof is less than 2,000, the number of deputies may be less than 45."

3. Article 13 is changed to be Article 14 and one paragraph is added as the second paragraph, which reads: "The standing committee of the people's congress of a province, an autonomous region or a municipality directly under the Central Government that re-determines the number of deputies in accordance with the provisions in the preceding paragraph shall report the re-determined number to the Standing Committee of the National People's Congress for the record within 30 days."

4. Article 57 is changed to be Article 58 and the second paragraph is revised to read: "Any state functionary who commits any of the acts prescribed in the preceding paragraph shall also be given supervisory sanctions by the supervisory organ or by the organ or entity to which he belongs."

The numbers of deputies to the people's congresses of the cities not divided into districts, the municipal districts, counties, autonomous counties, townships, ethnic townships and towns shall be re-determined in accordance with this Decision.

This Decision shall go into effect as of October 18, 2020.

The Electoral Law of the National People's Congress and Local People's Congresses of the People's Republic of China shall be promulgated anew after relevant revisions are made and the order of articles is adjusted according to this Decision.