Xi calls for zero-tolerance towards electoral misconduct

Chinese President Xi Jinping today called for a zero-tolerance attitude towards "electoral misconduct" as he cast his ballot at a polling station in Beijing to elect new deputies to the local people's congress.
Former presidents Jiang Zemin and Hu Jintao voted by proxy.
Xi, who recently acquired the status of a "core leader" of the ruling Communist Party of China (CPC), cast his vote at a polling station in Huairentang, Zhongnanhai electoral district in Xicheng District of Beijing, along with over 1,200 others.
He arrived at the polling station, gave his elector's card to staff and got a ballot.
He cast his ballot after filling it, state-run Xinhua news agency reported.

Xi said the county and township-level election supervised by the CPC requires adherence to the party's leadership, democratic spirit and acting in accordance with laws, to ensure the people's right to vote and the right to be elected.
He called for a zero-tolerance attitude toward "electoral misconduct".
About nine million people cast their ballots at 12,270 polling stations in Beijing today, to elect 4,373 new deputies to the people's congresses at district level, and 9,946 deputies to township-level people's congresses in Beijing.