Early in 1999, the district's 363 neighborhood committees were merged into 144 community governments, and elections were held in April. This system of indirect democracy gives residents a voice in their local government, however small. Candidates held meetings before the elections, and made campaign promises. The official presiding over the reforms in Heping, LI Hongguang, believes that in the 2002 election, community leaders will be directly elected. We realized that in order to improve social control, we have got to let the masses have a say.
Some urban residents are extremely cynical.
Don't misunderstand this. Remember, China is a one-party state. Said bluntly, it's a dictatorship. This should be clear. Li Hongguang admitted that the shift to local community governments has increased the CCP's hold on power at the local level.