China's top legislature started Monday to discuss granting equal representation in people's congresses to rural and urban people in a draft amendment to the Electoral Law. [Xinhua]

根据常委会的工作部署，从2008年开始，全国人大常委会法工委即着手研究选举法的修改，研究整理近几年来全国人大代表提出的关于修改选举法的议案、建议和其他方面的意见；会同有关方面组成调研组，先后到8个省（区、市）进行调研，并召开31个省（区、市）人大常委会负责同志座谈会和中央有关部门座谈会，重点听取对实行城乡按相同人口比例选举人大代表问题的意见；对城乡按相同人口比例选举人大代表涉及的问题，深入分析、反复论证。

Beginning in 2008, the Legislative Affairs Commission of the NPC Standing Committee set about researching amendments to the Electoral Law based on the work arrangements of the Standing Committee. It studied and sorted out the proposals and suggestions of NPC deputies on amendments to the Electoral Law made in recent years as well as opinions from other quarters; formed investigation teams with the relevant authorities and went to eight provinces, autonomous regions and municipalities directly under the central government to carry out investigations and studies, and held meetings attended by responsible persons of people's congresses of thirty-one provinces, autonomous regions and municipalities directly under the central government and by relevant departments of the central government, with a focus on listening to opinions on the issue of electing deputies to the people's congresses based on the same population ratio in urban and rural areas; and made profound analysis and repeated demonstration with respect to the issue of electing deputies to people's congresses based on the same ratio of population in urban and rural areas. 

在认真梳理代表议案建议、充分调查研究、广泛听取意见的基础上，形成了选举法修正案草案。2009年10月，十一届全国人大常委会第十一次会议对选举法修正案草案进行了初次审议。会后，将草案印发中央有关部门、各地和有关方面征求意见，并根据常委会组成人员的审议意见和各方面的意见，对修正案草案进行了修改完善。12月常委会第十二次会议对选举法修正案草案进行了再次审议。两次常委会会议审议，对修正案草案都给予充分肯定和高度评价。常委会组成人员和列席会议的同志普遍赞成这次修改的指导思想、主要原则，赞成一步到位实行城乡按相同人口比例选举人大代表，并保证各地区、各民族、各方面都有适当数量的人大代表的修改方案。全国人大常委会经两次审议，决定将修正案草案提请十一届全国人大三次会议审议。

The draft amendments to the Electoral Law were formed on the basis of conscientiously sorting out proposals and suggestions of deputies, comprehensive investigations and studies, and listening to a wide range of opinions. In October 2009, the draft amendments were first deliberated at the Eleventh Meeting of the Standing Committee of the Eleventh NPC. After the meeting, the draft amendments were printed and distributed to the relevant departments of the central government, every locality, and relevant quarters for their comments, and revisions and improvements were made to the draft amendments based on the opinions of members of the Standing Committee during their deliberation and the opinions from all quarters. The draft was again deliberated at the Twelfth Meeting of the Standing Committee in December 2009. The draft amendments were fully affirmed and highly praised during deliberation at the two meetings of the Standing Committee. The members of the Standing Committee and the attendants without voting rights universally approved the guiding ideology and main principles for the current revisions and agreed with the amendment proposal that deputies to people's congresses should be elected based on the same population ratio in urban and rural areas, and that an appropriate number of deputies should be guaranteed for each region, ethnic group, and sector of society. After deliberating twice, the Standing Committee decided the draft amendments should be submitted for deliberation and approval at the Third Session of the Eleventh NPC.

全国人大常委会办公厅按照法定程序，于今年1月8日将选举法修正案草案发送全国人大代表。代表们对修正案草案进行了认真的研读讨论，为审议作好准备。代表们普遍认为，修正案草案符合党的十七大精神，符合我国经济社会发展实际，能够更好地体现人人平等、地区平等和民族平等，有利于进一步扩大人民民主，保证人民当家作主。根据常委会组成人员的审议意见和代表们在讨论中提出的意见，对草案又作了一些修改，形成了提请大会审议的选举法修正案草案。

On January 8, 2010, the General Office of the NPC Standing Committee distributed the draft amendments to the Electoral Law to NPC deputies as per the statutory procedure. The deputies carried out earnest research and discussions on the draft amendments to prepare for its deliberation. The deputies universally believe that the draft amendments conform to the guiding principles of the Seventeenth National Congress of the CPC, are in accord with the realities of China's economic and social development, can better embody equality among people, regions and ethnic groups, and will help to further spread people's democracy and ensure that the people are the masters of the country. Based on the opinions of Standing Committee members raised during deliberation and the opinions of deputies put forward during their discussion, we made further revisions to the draft; thus forming the draft amendments to the Electoral Law which would be submitted for deliberation and approval at this session.