A FARMER in East China’s Zhejiang Province has regained his right to vote in village elections after taking the matter to court.The local court handed down a written verdict saying the 42-year-old farmer, Ye Ajin, has the lawful right to vote and to stand in the election of a new village committee.This is the first time the judiciary has become involved in settling a farmer’s dispute over political rights in Zhejiang. Ye, who lives in Xinghuo (Spark) Village in Shencheng township, Ruian, Wenzhou city, transferred his household registration out of the village several years ago. However, for various reasons, he did not move and went on living in the village, planting crops on a patch of land under contract and fulfilled his routine village duties like other farmers. In a recent election for the village committee’s new term, Ye was not listed among the qualified voters because he had no household registration in Xinghuo Village. “Why can’t I vote like the others?” asked Ye, who had only one year’s schooling. Confused, he asked a lawyer for help. “I finally got it clear that the right to vote and to stand is an important political right, and is guaranteed by our Constitution,” he said. Ye asked the election committee and local township government to give back his political rights, and showed them the relevant legal documents but he was still denied the right to vote.Ye then filed a lawsuit in the Rui’an City People’s Court, claiming he should be considered as an eligible voter in the election. The court ruled that Ye can vote at either the place where he keeps his household registration or his current residence since his political right had never been withdrawn. Courts in China usually refuse to handle lawsuits similar to Ye’s, as they consider judging cases involving political rights to be a sensitive issue. Last month, the Chinese central authorities issued a notice urging all local authorities to abide by farmers’ choices and ensure village committee elections run smoothly. Sixteen provinces, municipalities and autonomous regions around China, such as Zhejiang, Heilongjiang, Shaanxi, Hebei, Anhui and Hubei, will hold elections for new village committees this year, according to sources. (SD-Agencies)