More than 80 percent Chinese farmers in most provinces have voted to elect village heads since last winter, the Ministry of Civil Affairs said Friday.

Village committee elections have been going on in the country and farmers demonstrate increasing enthusiasm about selecting their own village heads, according to ministry sources with a national meeting on village committee election.

Many provinces have formulated their own rules concerning the election and the campaign speeches of candidates to ensure villagers' right to recommend, nominate, vote for and veto against candidates.

According to the ministry, villagers in some localities also have improved the village committee election system to ensure grassroots democracy. The measures include the withdrawal of candidates as members of the electoral committee, the rules define election by bribery, the development of electronic vote calculation systems, and the employment of observers to ensure justice in the election.

(Xinhua News Agency July 9, 2005)