Wukan elects village chief, but not all are happy
Voters back incumbent while his former deputy turned challenger refuses to join new committee
Rain-drenched voters in Wukan returned to the polls yesterday in a ballot clouded by signs authorities are reasserting their power.
The Guangdong village grabbed headlines worldwide in 2011 when locals staged huge protests and drove out Communist Party officials they accused of illegal land grabs and the death of a detained local villager. Months later, protest leaders swept to power in a local election free from influence by the higher level Communist Party committee.
The election was to decide the head and six other members of the village committee. Incumbent Lin Zuluan was re-elected as chief with 5,019 votes, representing more than half of some 9,000 eligible voters. Lin's former deputy turned challenger, Yang Semao , received 2,268 votes.
Residents will cast ballots again today to decide the six remaining committee members, as none of the candidates received the required 50 per cent of votes.
For several months villagers have been accusing the local Communist Party committee of reasserting its influence and trying to sabotage the election.
