Rural Reform Aims to Empower Villagers

The council allows villagers a role in decision-making that concerns them, like the location of a primary school, construction of community facilities and even the width of restaurants and shops because of a lack of space.

Restaurants on both sides of the Friendship Avenue were originally designed to be 5 meters wide -- too wide for two tables but too narrow for three tables to be placed in a row.

Villagers who were potential restaurant owners made proposals to the council, and a six-meter solution was adopted.

The new reform requires government to change its role, from an administrator to a provider of public service, said Yu Qian, Xiao's deputy party chief.

In the newly-built Xiaogang public service center, villager can apply for various public services in a one-stop visit. They can examine the village's spending and revenues on the computer.

"Everything, big or small, is now open and transparent. This makes it easier for villagers to supervise the government and let us know what the government has done for us," said Yan Lixian, a villager.

According to Fan Hesheng, vice dean of Anhui University's School of Sociology and Political Science, self-governance among villagers is an intrinsic requirement of government function reform.

An expert on the rural political system, Fan has noticed emerging problems facing agriculture, rural areas and farmers in villages of Anhui Province.

"The organization of the village council encourages villagers to participate in politics, this will help address their problems more directly and democratically," said Fan.