Taking on the Party in Rural China: Reformer Risks Livelihood for Direct Elections By John Pomfret

One reason for the pressure for direct elections in townships is that in 1998 China began allowing elections for the heads of its 700,000 villages. A crisis of legitimacy has erupted, pitting village chiefs, who often have popular support, against township governments, which are appointed.

"The township governments have a choice," said a government researcher who spoke on condition of anonymity. "They can either try to fix the village elections and derail the process or they can push for democratization as well. But if they do that, then the county government above will be faced with the same choice."

Here's hoping democracy will creep upwards.