NEW DEMOCRATIC ERA STARTS FOR CHINA

Chronicle (Levin), 22 November 1947, Page 5

NEW DEMOCRATIC ERA STARTS FOR CHINA

Received Friday, 7.0 p.m. NANKING, Nov. 21. Madame Chiang Kai-shek will cast the first vote* today when all women over 21 will go to the polls in China's first democratic elections. During the next three days more than 160,000,000 persons are expected to cast their votes but even this-esti-mate is reported by high officials at Nanking to be 100,000,000 below the figures of those eligible to vote. Eoughly one-quarter of China's nomi-

lation of 450,000,000 will be prevented irom voting owing to the civil wdr while China's 8,000,000 to 10,000,00u overseas Chinese in Siam, Hong Kong, the N etherlands, East Indies, Philippines and the United States, will be nnable to record votes for the 3024 representatives for the National Assembly. The Kuomintang— National Party— with 1758 candidates, has virtually no opposition. ' The elections may be regarded as ; the beginning of a new era in China's constitutional history, The 3024 repiesentatives will be charged with the task of electing a President of the Republic of C&ina and enforcing the new constitution drawn up last . year. Generalissimo Chiang Kai-shek is expected to be re-elected President. These elections marl; the end of thc

one-party system and herald democratic free elections iu line with the goal set by the founder of the Republic, Dr. Sun Yat Sen, giving China * a constitutional democracy. China's new constitution gives the right .to vote to any mentally fit Chinese citizen over 21 who has not been convicted of treason, opium smoking or corruption. There is no literacy requirement.