The largest scale residential relocation program ever to affect Beijing will be decided by voting. The whole process will be announced by the public notary office. All residents in the Jiuxian Qiao area will have to move out after a certain proportion of them sign the removal agreement.

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With frequent property disputes having occurred recently, the question that's currently in every newspaper and on everyone's lips is whether or not voting is a good way to protect people's private property rights.

Reporter:

The Huashang Daily carries one comment, saying that it's right to follow the opinion of the majority in most cases. However, voting is not the panacea for all social problems, especially when it comes to property disputes. The solution worked out by most people is very likely to place the majority's interests far above the minority's. Thus, this seemingly-democratic voting process still violates the interests of many people.

Therefore, besides voting, there should be hearings, seminars, negotiations and other auxiliary means to solve the problem. We have to work out detailed plans so that the interests of all parties can be ensured.

One opinion from the Yanzhao Metropolitan News says that the home owners themselves have the right to decide whether or not to move out. This right is protected by law. There is no difference if a house owner is forced to move by the voting results or by government decree. Citizens' legally-protected private property rights should not be violated. We have to respect the owner's opinion even if it is against that of everyone else.

If voting is used as a means of making residential relocation decisions, who will stand up to protect the minority's right to own property? The prospects might become even more terrible once the voting process is hijacked by manipulative developers. The damage to rights, in such a situation, will not be confined to a mere few.

Another opinion from Guangzhou Daily brings up the question of how one defines "majority". Most of the local residents might say that when more than 80 percent of them agree to move the demolition can be carried out. However, even if the percentage of approval reaches 90 percent, that still leaves more than 500 unhappy households. Is 500 a large number? How could their rights be protected if the voting goes against their wish?

Another problem is compensation. It is reported that over 20 interviewees from the area have expressed dissatisfaction with the compensation they were to receive. If both parties cannot agree on the amount of compensation, all this voting won't mean anything.