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]

根據常委會的工作部署，從2008年開始，全國人大常委會法工委即著手研究選舉法的修改，研究整理近幾年來全國人大代表提出的關于修改選舉法的議案、建議和其他方面的意見；會同有關方面組成調研組，先后到8個省（區、市）進行調研，并召開31個省（區、市）人大常委會負責同志座談會和中央有關部門座談會，重點聽取對實行城鄉按相同人口比例選舉人大代表問題的意見；對城鄉按相同人口比例選舉人大代表涉及的問題，深入分析、反復論證。

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. 

在認真梳理代表議案建議、充分調查研究、廣泛聽取意見的基礎上，形成了選舉法修正案草案。2009年10月，十一屆全國人大常委會第十一次會議對選舉法修正案草案進行了初次審議。會后，將草案印發中央有關部門、各地和有關方面征求意見，并根據常委會組成人員的審議意見和各方面的意見，對修正案草案進行了修改完善。12月常委會第十二次會議對選舉法修正案草案進行了再次審議。兩次常委會會議審議，對修正案草案都給予充分肯定和高度評價。常委會組成人員和列席會議的同志普遍贊成這次修改的指導思想、主要原則，贊成一步到位實行城鄉按相同人口比例選舉人大代表，并保證各地區、各民族、各方面都有適當數量的人大代表的修改方案。全國人大常委會經兩次審議，決定將修正案草案提請十一屆全國人大三次會議審議。

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.

全國人大常委會辦公廳按照法定程序，于今年1月8日將選舉法修正案草案發送全國人大代表。代表們對修正案草案進行了認真的研讀討論，為審議作好準備。代表們普遍認為，修正案草案符合黨的十七大精神，符合我國經濟社會發展實際，能夠更好地體現人人平等、地區平等和民族平等，有利于進一步擴大人民民主，保證人民當家作主。根據常委會組成人員的審議意見和代表們在討論中提出的意見，對草案又作了一些修改，形成了提請大會審議的選舉法修正案草案。

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.