1912 Chinese National Assembly election

The 1912 Chinese National Assembly elections, held in December 1912 to January 1913, were the first elections for the newly founded National Assembly of the Republic of China, which was a bicameral parliament with a Senate and a House of Representatives.

1912 Chinese National Assembly elections

December 1912 − January 1913

All 870 seats in the National Assembly
(274 seats in the Senate and 596 seats in the House of Representatives)
  First party Second party
 
Leader Song Jiaoren Li Yuanhong
Party Kuomintang Republican
Senate 132 46
House 269 120

  Third party Fourth party
 
Leader Zhang Binglin Tang Hualong
Party Unity Democratic
Senate 6 8
House 18 16

Premier before election

Zhao Bingjun
Nonpartisan

Elected Premier

Zhao Bingjun
Nonpartisan

Overview

The election was indirect, as voters chose some 30,000 electors who chose about 2,000 members of the provincial assemblies and 596 members of the House of Representatives. This system caused instances of bribery.

The 274-member Senate were elected by the provincial assemblies who themselves had been elected in 1909 during the Qing dynasty.

Adult males over the age of 21 who were educated or owned property and paid taxes, and who could prove a two-year residency in a particular county, could vote.[1] An estimated 40 million or 4-6% of China's population were registered for the election.[2] This was an increase from the size of the electorate in the 1909 Chinese provincial elections, when less than 1% of the population was enfranchised.

The president had to pick the 64 members representing Tibet, Outer Mongolia, and Overseas Chinese due to the fact that the government in Beijing did not exercise enough control over these populations to organize elections. Despite the compromises, this election had the participation of over 300 civic groups and was the first and most competitive nationwide election in Chinese history.

The Kuomintang (Chinese Nationalist Party) led by Song Jiaoren won a plurality in both houses of the assembly, and Song was expected to become the Premier of China.[2] After losing the election, the Republican, Unity, and Democratic (formerly Constitutionalist) parties merged into the Progressive Party with Liang Qichao as leader. The Progressive Party became the main rival to the Nationalists.

Song was assassinated on 20 March 1913 in Shanghai. When the assembly convened for the first time on April 8 amid heated debate over the assassination, the Nationalists were divided over solutions on how to deal with Yuan Shikai, the provisional president, who was suspected of ordering the assassination. On 12 July, Sun Yat-sen led the Nationalists and a faction of provinces into armed rebellion against Yuan, coined the Second Revolution. However, the Second Revolution was completely defeated within two months by Yuan's forces.

The National Assembly members were compromised by threats and bribes from Yuan. He confined the National Assembly and forced them to elect him as the formal president in the October presidential election. Yuan quickly outlawed the Nationalists and expelled them from the assembly. Without a quorum, the National Assembly could not convene, so Yuan disbanded it on 10 January 1914.

Voter and seat distributions

The inaugural meeting of the National Assembly in April 1913.
Electoral districtChinesePinyin PopulationVoters%House SeatsSenate Seats
Chihli直隸省Zhílì25,932,1339,195,75735.464610
Fengtien奉天省Fèngtiān12,133,303896,4087.391610
Kirin吉林省Jílín5,580,030108,8351.951010
Heilungkiang黑龍江省Hēilóngjiāng2,028,776288,23414.211010
Shantung山東省Shāndōng30,987,8531,368,1844.423310
Honan河南省Hénán35,900,0381,688,6324.703210
Shansi山西省Shānxī12,269,3862,588,06821.102810
Kiangsu江蘇省Jiāngsū32,282,7811,939,3866.014010
Anhwei安徽省Ānhuī16,229,0521,450,9018.942710
Kiangsi江西省Jiāngxī23,987,3174,986,88320.793510
Fukien福建省Fújiàn15,849,2961,283,3488.102410
Chekiang浙江省Zhèjiāng21,440,1511,184,6295.533810
Hupeh湖北省Húběi25,590,3085,670,37022.162610
Hunan湖南省Húnán27,390,2301,277,4144.662710
Shensi陝西省Shǎnxī10,271,0961,395,6222.982110
Kansu甘肅省Gānsù4,989,907148,5262.981410
Sinkiang新疆省Xīnjiāng2,000,0009,5060.481010
Szechwan四川省Sìchuān48,129,5961,729,3683.593510
Kwangtung廣東省Guǎngdōng28,010,5601,966,5167.023010
Kwangsi廣西省Guǎngxī8,746,7472,731,71731.231910
Yunnan雲南省Yúnnán9,466,965233,3982.472210
Kweichow貴州省Guìzhōu9,665,227792,2908.201310
Mongolia蒙古選舉會Ménggǔ2727
Tibet西藏選舉會Xīzàng1010
Tsinghai青海選舉會Qīnghǎi33
Oversea Chinese華僑選舉會Huáqiáo06
Central Society中央學會08
Total406,880,48642,933,99210.50596274

Results

PartySeats
SenateHouse
Kuomintang132269
Republican Party46120
Unity Party618
Democratic Party816
Multi-party candidates38147
Independents4426
Total274596

Presidential elections in National Assembly

An important function of the National Assembly under the Provisional Constitution of the Republic of China was to elect the President and Vice President of China. The following elections were held by the 1st National Assembly of Beiyang government.

Presidential elections by the National Assembly elected in 1912—13
OrderPresidential ElectionPresidentVice PresidentNote
1st1913 Chinese presidential electionYuan ShikaiLi YuanhongFirst formal presidential election in Chinese history
1916 Chinese vice-presidential electionFeng GuozhangTo replace the vacancy of Li Yuanhong as he sworn in as the President after Yuan Shikai's death.
3rd1923 Chinese presidential electionCao KunResumed session after First Zhili–Fengtian War
  • The 2nd Presidential election was held by the 2nd National Assembly elected in 1918

See also

References

  1. Cambridge History of China, Vol 12, Part 1: 222-223
  2. Young, Ernest P. ""Politics in the Aftermath of Revolution: The Era of Yuan Shih-K'ai, 1912-16"". Cambridge History of China, Vol 12, Part 1. p. 222.

Bibliography

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