Two villagers and one official have been arrested in Yongkang City, east China's Zhejiang Province, on charges of bribing voters in the election of the city's People's Congress deputies.

Yu Tingbiao, a villager who had failed to qualify as a candidate, decided to try to get his wife elected, while Ling Yulin, who had also failed to qualify, became his accomplice.

With the help of Ling Guansheng, a local official, Yu and Ling tried to bribe voters, initially, with cigarettes and cooking oil, and later, with cash.

The two villagers each "invested" 300,000 yuan (about US$36,000) over the last three months to buy votes at prices of between 20 yuan (US$2.4) and 60 yuan (about US$7.22).

Some voters reported their activities to the city's Election Committee, and the local public security bureau and prosecution investigated the incident.

(Xinhua News Agency February 3, 2003)