A total of 8.5 million voters will go to the polls on Wednesday in congressional elections for Beijing's 18 counties and districts, and 181 townships, according to sources with the election headquarters on Tuesday.

There are 6,715 candidates running for the 4,403 deputy seats in the county (district) people's congresses, and 15,185 candidates for the 9,983 township people's congresses this year.

Elections for China's county and township congresses will be spread over the period July 1, 2006 to December 31, 2007, in accordance with provisions in the Constitution and the Election Law. More than two million deputies will be elected nationwide over the 18-month period.

In Beijing's county-level congressional elections, no more than 12 percent of candidates should be nominated by political parties, and the proportion drops to 8 percent for township-level elections.

Election procedures have been reformed to ensure that most candidates -- 88 percent at county level and 92 percent at township level -- are nominated directly by voters.

Election rules also require that at least 36 percent of county congress candidates are women, and 35 percent in township elections, so as to protect women's political and democratic rights.

(Xinhua News Agency November 7, 2006)