1909 Chinese parliamentary election explained

Election Name:1909 Chinese parliamentary election
Country:China
Flag Year:1889
Type:parliamentary
Vote Type:Indirect election
Ongoing:no
Election Date:September – October 1909
Elected Members:Advisory Council (Qing dynasty)#Members
Next Election:1912 Chinese National Assembly election
Next Year:1912
Seats For Election:196 seats (of 200 seats) to the Advisory Council
Majority Seats:101
Image1:Chen Baochen.jpg
Colour1:420801
Leader1:Chen Baochen
Party1:Continuous Constitutionalism
Alliance1:Constitutionalists
Leaders Seat1:Scholars
(Appointed)
1Blank:Elected seats
1Data1:38
2Blank:Appointed seats
2Data1:37
Leader2:Yang Du
Party2:Chinese Empire Reform Association
Alliance2:Constitutionalists
Leaders Seat2:Did not stand
1Data2:10
2Data2:0
Image3:Yan Xishan.jpg
Colour3:CFDA98
Leader3:Yan Xishan
Party3:Xinhai Club
Alliance3:Constitutionalists
Leaders Seat3:Did not stand
1Data3:4
2Data3:7
Image4:Dr. Sun in London.jpg
Colour4:000099
Leader4:Sun Yat-sen
Party4:Tongmenghui
Alliance4:Revolutionaries
Leaders Seat4:Did not stand
1Data4:4
2Data4:3
Image5:Wang Rongbao.jpg
Colour5:F8326D
Leader5:Wang Rongbao
Party5:Political Science Club
Alliance5:Constitutionalists
Leaders Seat5:Government Officials
(Appointed)
1Data5:1
2Data5:4
Image6:Zheng Xiaoxu2.JPG
Colour6:DE2119
Leader6:Zheng Xiaoxu
Party6:Preparative Constitutionalism
Alliance6:Constitutionalists
Leaders Seat6:Did not stand
1Data6:3
2Data6:2

The 1909 Chinese parliamentary election was an indirect election to the first imperial Advisory Council, a preparatory body of the parliament created under the constitutional reform bought by the late Qing dynasty. It was seen as the first popular election in Chinese history.[1]

Originally 100 members, half of the seats in the council were to be elected by the members of the Provincial Consultative Assemblies, while the other half were appointed by the Emperor. Due to the fact the Provincial Consultative Assembly had not been set up in Sinkiang, the seats were reduced to 98.

Translations with bracketed Chinese text are for reference only.

Electoral system

The candidates were indirectly elected by members of Consultative Assembly in provinces. The number of candidate each electorate shall vote for was double the delegated seats. Amongst all the supported candidates, half of them would be chosen by the governor as elected members. Appointed members included a certain degree of election features as there were considerable size of eligible members.

Constituencies

The new Advisory Council only consisted of 196 members, instead of 200 as planned, as Consultative Assembly was not established in Sinkiang, and the number of appointed members shrank to 98 to achieve the balance.

Elected members are as follows:

ProvinceSeatsProvinceSeats
Zhili9Shanxi5
74
Jiangsu7Shaanxi4
Jiangxi6Yunnan4
6Fengtian3
6 Gansu3
5Guangxi3
5Heilongjiang2
5Jilin2
Hunan5Guizhou2
Guangdong5Xinjiang
Appointed members are as follows:
ConstituencySeatsConstituencySeats
Government Officials (各部院衙門官)32Scholars (碩學通儒)10
Princes of Imperial Family (宗室王公世爵)14Large Taxpayers (納稅多額)10
Princes of Feudatories (外藩王公世爵)14Descendants of Emperor (宗室覺羅)6
Nobility of Manchu and Han (滿漢世爵)12

Result

The constitutionalists, who advocated constitutional monarchy in Qing, secured a majority in the Advisory Council. The revolutionaries on the other hand, despite banned by the authorities, won a few seats.[2] [3] The party membership is only estimation as political party system was immature at the time. Some members resigned during the session and the vacancies were filled according to the precedence list, which their membership is not reflected here.

Political party!Elected!Appointed!Total
Continuous Constitutionalism Association (憲政維持進行會)383775
Xinhai Club (辛亥俱樂部)4711
Chinese Empire Reform Association10010
Political Science Club (政學會)145
Preparative Constitutionalism Association (預備立憲公會)325
(國會請願同志會)505
Joint Association of Provincial Consultative Assemblies (各省諮議局聯合會)303
Guangdong Autonomous Chamber of Commerce (粵商自治會)101
Preparative Constitutionalism Association of Guizhou (貴州憲政預備會)101
align=left bgcolor=#FECD21 style="border-left-style:hidden;"Constitutionalists total6650116
Tongmenghui437
Association for Guizhou Autonomy (貴州自治學社)101
align=left bgcolor=#000099 style="color:white;border-left-style:hidden;"Revolutionaries totalbgcolor=#000099 style=color:white5bgcolor=#000099 style=color:white3bgcolor=#000099 style=color:white8
align=left bgcolor=#DDDDDD style="border-left-style:hidden;"Independents274572
align=left colspan="2" Vacant224
Total100100200

Detailed results

ZhiliZhejiangJiangsuJiangxiShandongSichuanAnhuiHenanHunanShanxiYunnan
Continuous Constitutionalism Association614223121
Chinese Empire Reform Association22212
Xinhai Club121
Political Science Club1
Preparative Constitutionalism Association111
Brotherhood of Petition for Parliament11111
Joint Association of Provincial Consultative Assemblies12
Tongmenghui1201
Independents121122311
Total97766655554
HubeiGuangdongFujianShaanxiFengtianGansuGuangxiGuizhouHeilongjiangJilin
Continuous Constitutionalism Association442132
Chinese Empire Reform Association1
Guangdong Autonomous Chamber of Commerce1
Preparative Constitutionalism Association of Guizhou1
Association for Guizhou Autonomy1
Independents142222
Total5544333222
OfficialsImperial PrinceFeudatory PrinceNobilityScholarsTaxpayersEmperor's Descendants
Continuous Constitutionalism Association1463663
Xinhai Club6
Political Science Club211
Preparative Constitutionalism Association2
Tongmenghui12
Independents98139123
Total3214141210106

See also

Notes and References

  1. Book: 張, 朋園 . 中國民主政治的困境 1909-1949:晩清以來歷屆議會選舉述論 . 吉林出版集團有限責任公司 . 2007 . Changchun . 63.
  2. Book: 張, 朋園 . 中國民主政治的困境 1909-1949:晩清以來歷屆議會選舉述論 . 吉林出版集團有限責任公司 . 2007 . Changchun . 317–329.
  3. Book: 張, 玉法 . 清季的立憲團體 . 中央研究院近代史研究所 . 1985.