Yao Lifa (Chinese: 姚立法; pinyin: Yáo Lìfǎ; born 1958 in Qianjiang, Hubei) is apparently the first person in China elected through self-nomination to a municipal-level people's congress.
Yao Lifa
Yao, who has a vocational school education and works at an elementary school, began competing for a seat in the local people's congress in 1987, when the election law was first promulgated. The law allows for self-nominated candidates, and Yao used this provision to run for office.
Twelve years later, in 1998, he was finally successful. Over the course of the next five years, Yao was a busy and controversial figure—he raised 187 of the 459 suggestions, opinions, and criticisms presented to the local people's congress. Yao also undertook a survey of the 329 villages under Qianjiang City and found that 187 village chairmen and 432 vice chairmen and village committee members in 269 villages who had been elected in 1999—some 57 percent of the total—had been dismissed over the course of the following three years. Sensing a mandate, he railed against the detention of peasants who refused to pay illegal fees, collected more than 10,000 signatures criticizing a Party official, and denounced the wasting of public money on marble street curbs, tiled
In 2003, 40 other people—including teachers, village heads, lawyers, workers, and peasants joined Yao put themselves forward as candidates for the Qianjiang Municipal People's Congress, and 32 of them continue the full campaign. In an election fraught with controversy, the whole group of self-nominated candidates lost the election, though Yao at least vowed to run again in the next election. Because Yao and the others were not backed by local authorities, their only chance of being elected was to wage a write-in campaign. Yao had succeeded in doing so in 1998, but local authorities were determined to prevent more than one successful write-in campaign in 2003. The local administration felt it was bad enough to have one Yao Lifa in the People's Congress; they would not have been able to tolerate 32 Yao Lifas.[citation needed]
In 2006, a former China Central Television (CCTV) legal affairs correspondent Zhu Ling, write a biography of Yao Lifa named I object—the Road to Politics by a People's Congress Deputy.[citation needed] Based on three years of research, the book chronicles peasant-turned-teacher-turned-activist Yao Lifa's 12-year struggle to run for a seat on a county legislature in Hubei province. This book was banned in 2007 with 7 other books to the fact that his dogged persistence in promoting open and fair elections had incurred the wrath of the Central Propaganda Department.
Under his help, there is more and more independent candidates coming out. After meeting Yao Lifa in 2003, Lu Banglie began to turn to grassroots democracy and won the seat in congress at the end of 2003 with Yao's help.
Following his term, Yao has been regularly held in custody by security forces, having stated that he was detained five times in 2009 during "politically sensitive" events.[1][2] In 2011, Yao was placed under surveillance; at one point he jumped off a building to escape from the authorities and was considered missing for several months until it was revealed that he was imprisoned in Beijing.[3]Voice of America interviewed him in 2021; according to him, he was still under covert surveillance.[4]
Referencesedit
^"China detains activist before Party meet, says son". Reuters. 10 October 2007. Retrieved 2022-11-14 – via www.reuters.com.
^"Democracy in action". The Economist. 25 February 2010. ISSN 0013-0613. Retrieved 2022-11-14 – via The Economist.
^"Activist Yao Lifa goes missing from home a day after his release". South China Morning Post. 6 September 2011. Retrieved 2022-11-14.
^"拒当"举手机器"的人民代表". Voice of America (in Chinese). 6 March 2021. Retrieved 2022-11-14.
External linksedit
Yao Lifa's Blog(With English news updated)
Yao Lifa's Promoting Election blog in Chinese
Watching dissidents is a booming business in China, Associated Press, May 28, 2012.
Far From Beijing, a Semblance of Democracy, New York Times, Mar 8th, 2002.
April 18, 2024
lifa, chinese, 姚立法, pinyin, yáo, lìfǎ, born, 1958, qianjiang, hubei, apparently, first, person, china, elected, through, self, nomination, municipal, level, people, congress, vocational, school, education, works, elementary, school, began, competing, seat, loc. Yao Lifa Chinese 姚立法 pinyin Yao Lifǎ born 1958 in Qianjiang Hubei is apparently the first person in China elected through self nomination to a municipal level people s congress Yao LifaYao who has a vocational school education and works at an elementary school began competing for a seat in the local people s congress in 1987 when the election law was first promulgated The law allows for self nominated candidates and Yao used this provision to run for office Twelve years later in 1998 he was finally successful Over the course of the next five years Yao was a busy and controversial figure he raised 187 of the 459 suggestions opinions and criticisms presented to the local people s congress Yao also undertook a survey of the 329 villages under Qianjiang City and found that 187 village chairmen and 432 vice chairmen and village committee members in 269 villages who had been elected in 1999 some 57 percent of the total had been dismissed over the course of the following three years Sensing a mandate he railed against the detention of peasants who refused to pay illegal fees collected more than 10 000 signatures criticizing a Party official and denounced the wasting of public money on marble street curbs tiledIn 2003 40 other people including teachers village heads lawyers workers and peasants joined Yao put themselves forward as candidates for the Qianjiang Municipal People s Congress and 32 of them continue the full campaign In an election fraught with controversy the whole group of self nominated candidates lost the election though Yao at least vowed to run again in the next election Because Yao and the others were not backed by local authorities their only chance of being elected was to wage a write in campaign Yao had succeeded in doing so in 1998 but local authorities were determined to prevent more than one successful write in campaign in 2003 The local administration felt it was bad enough to have one Yao Lifa in the People s Congress they would not have been able to tolerate 32 Yao Lifas citation needed In 2006 a former China Central Television CCTV legal affairs correspondent Zhu Ling write a biography of Yao Lifa named I object the Road to Politics by a People s Congress Deputy citation needed Based on three years of research the book chronicles peasant turned teacher turned activist Yao Lifa s 12 year struggle to run for a seat on a county legislature in Hubei province This book was banned in 2007 with 7 other books to the fact that his dogged persistence in promoting open and fair elections had incurred the wrath of the Central Propaganda Department Under his help there is more and more independent candidates coming out After meeting Yao Lifa in 2003 Lu Banglie began to turn to grassroots democracy and won the seat in congress at the end of 2003 with Yao s help Following his term Yao has been regularly held in custody by security forces having stated that he was detained five times in 2009 during politically sensitive events 1 2 In 2011 Yao was placed under surveillance at one point he jumped off a building to escape from the authorities and was considered missing for several months until it was revealed that he was imprisoned in Beijing 3 Voice of America interviewed him in 2021 according to him he was still under covert surveillance 4 References edit China detains activist before Party meet says son Reuters 10 October 2007 Retrieved 2022 11 14 via www reuters com Democracy in action The Economist 25 February 2010 ISSN 0013 0613 Retrieved 2022 11 14 via The Economist Activist Yao Lifa goes missing from home a day after his release South China Morning Post 6 September 2011 Retrieved 2022 11 14 拒当 举手机器 的人民代表 Voice of America in Chinese 6 March 2021 Retrieved 2022 11 14 External links editYao Lifa s Blog With English news updated Yao Lifa s Promoting Election blog in Chinese Watching dissidents is a booming business in China Associated Press May 28 2012 Far From Beijing a Semblance of Democracy New York Times Mar 8th 2002 Retrieved from https en wikipedia org w index php title Yao Lifa amp oldid 1209034981, wikipedia, wiki, book, books, library,
