Candidates selected for China's Party central committee

All candidates to enter the central committee and central discipline
commission of the Communist Party of China (CPC) have been selected, waiting for
a formal vote on Sunday at the concluding session of the 17th CPC National
Congress, Xinhua has learnt.

More than 2,200 Party delegates selected the
candidates for members and alternate members of the CPC Central Committee and
members of the Central Commission for Discipline Inspection on Friday and
Saturday through a secret multi-candidate vote.

The list and numbers of the chosen candidates are not
known, but they will have a high chance to become members and alternate members
of the central committee, and members of the central discipline commission, as
was the case at previous Party congresses.

The primary elections were conducted on a
differential basis. Analysts say the ratio of losers may be higher than that in
the 16th Party congress five years ago.

At the 16th Party congress in 2002, ten nominees lost
in the primary vote for candidates of central committee members, marking a 5.1
percent. Another seven people, or 5.8 percent of the nominees, lost in the vote
for candidates of members of the central discipline commission.

The proportion of the dropouts in the alternate
members primary election was 5.7 percent in 2002, which translates into nine
persons.

The Party Constitution rules that "The highest
leading body of the Party is the National Congress and the Central Committee
elected by it." It also stipulates: "The Political Bureau, the Standing
Committee of the Political Bureau and the General Secretary of the Central
Committee of the Party are elected by the Central Committee in plenary session."

In this sense, the top leadership lineup will be
formed at the first plenary session of the newly-elected CPC Central Committee.
Members of the Standing Committee of the Political Bureau are expected to meet
the press on Monday following the plenum.