GUANGZHOU, March 18 (Xinhuanet) -- South China's Guangdong
Province, which has witnessed the country's fastest economic
growth, will finish its second round of direct elections for
village heads in the first half of this year.
   Seen as grassroots democratic practice in China, direct
elections at village level, the lowest unit of administration in
China, have been carried out for 14 years.
   The first round of direct elections was finished and village
committees were set up in every village across Guangdong in 1999,
which has witnessed substantially improved democratic and legal
construction in its rural areas.
   By the end of February this year, direct elections were
completed in 2,913 villages in Guangdong, which accounted for 14
percent of the total.
   In these election villages, 98 percent of eligible voters
exercised their franchise.  Enditem