The Bu Yun Review: The Mayor Direct Election By Elite Driven And Tracking Study

The township is the regional government institutions at the grassroots level in our country; it represents the state of governance in rural society. At the same time, the township government is a channel connecting farmers and the country. In view of the peasant, township government organizations act as a "national" role, while the township administrative officer is "the mayor". The discussing of the way of the election had become a focus of the society. The focus is to choose direct democratic election or indirect democracy election. In 1998, there was a direct election of township in Buyun Township, Suining City, Sichuan Province. That is the first time to carry out this kind of election. It carried out a direct election test of elite promoting, and was a good combination for the grassroots masses to participate in the elitism guide. It have a far-reaching effect on the development of democracy at the grass-roots level of China.In Buyun Township direct elections, elite promoting is an important power for developing in the past sixteen years. In this article, we will revist participants from a historical point of view and the perspective of time and space to review and prospect the test of Buyun Township. Reviewing the election, it is the democratic experiment carried out by Suining City relying on the promotion of elite politics at first, and based on public demand for democratic development. It is the "soil" of direct election test and is a breakthrough in the electoral system. Subsequently, the "political effect" of direct election brought cadres’change, but its legitimacy has been controversial, the direct election by all the villagers suspected unconstitutional, and ultimately difficult to continue. A new chief, carrying the grassroots commitment had an impact on economic, social of Buyun Township. There were a series of positive measures as well as objective negative factors, so direct democracy is difficult to solve all the problems in the development. In this paper, from the perspective of the organizers, supporters and participants, we will review the characteristics of elitism guiding in Buyun election. Also based on farmers’ rationality, doing practical things is an important standard of direct elections for mayor.The conclusion of this paper:Chinese development of grassroots democracy has a strong elitism tendency, and it is not from the grassroots, but from the ordinary people’s needs; it is also from the roots of democracy. Elite group have a sense of responsibility, but only when a wide range of people participating, it can be transformed into effective actions, and promote the development of democracy at the grassroots level. The future development of democracy at the grassroots level depends on perfecting election and broadening participation. The process is tortuous, It needs restriction and protection of security system and law, and the mayor election will eventually be realized due to the development of grassroots democracy.