Tributación

Observation is a significant tool to redress preconceived views of researchers and it avoids a possible framing of a research situation in advance (Desai & Potter, 2006). Observation has different forms, but all include basic elements such as non-verbal, spatial, extra-linguistic and linguistic behaviors (Robson, 2002a). In order to minimise observer effects which may impact the objectivity of the observation, Robson (2002a) suggests two main strategies in the observation: minimal interaction with the observed and habituation of the observed. The avoidance of eye contact and indifferences in behavioral reaction can minimise the interaction. Repeated attendance to a certain spatial area can habituate the researcher’s presence as it may change what the researcher is planning to observe.

In this research, observation is used as a “supplementary method” (Robson, 2002a, p. 312) to collect data which complement the data from focus groups and semi-structured individual interviews. The observation method that the researcher conducted in this research is purposive observation. When the researcher interviewed some deputies, he observed that some constituents come to visit their deputies. These impromptu visitors often come to complain about some policies and the practical difficulties in their lives. This gave the

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researcher the opportunity to observe the interactions between the constituents and their deputies.

The researcher stayed for fifteen working days in the LCPC. So the impact of his presence in a meeting over the actions and behaviours of the observed gradually diminished. The researcher observed a meeting for the members of the 16th LCPC Permanent Committee. The purpose of this observation for the researcher is to understand how the LCPC motions are responded to by the government and how the LCPC deputies give feedback to the

government’s response and how the appointment and removal of cadres is conducted under

the dominance of the Party. In addition, the researcher took this opportunity to access and copy documents from the government archives related to these motions, including an elaborate document on specific development projects such as developing a tea industry. A LCPC meeting is formal (Photo 15 and 16). It is held in a rectangular meeting room. The names of the attendees who sit around the meeting table and in the second row are shown on a name board. One photographer and one video-maker from the local television station were invited to record and broadcast the meeting. Ten topics are discussed one after another and the meeting ended in 4 hours and 30 minutes. The first eight agenda items involved listening to and examining the work reports of the three authorities: the Government, the Court and the Procuratorate40 (the GCP), and several bureaux of the county government. The ninth is on examining the work report of the three authorities for testing the degree of satisfaction. The tenth concerns personnel arrangements—the appointment of two officials. After listening to the work reports, chairmen and members of the CPC permanent committee gave comments and suggestions on the works of the GCP.

40 _{Institutionally, China's judicial system includes three parts: the People's Court, the People's Procuratorate} and the Public Security. According to the Organic Law of China, the People’s Procuratorate is one state organ of legal supervision. The People’s Procuratorate has four levels: national (supreme), provincial, prefectural and county levels. It has seven functions: (i) to exercise procuratorial authority over cases of treason, (ii) to conduct investigation of criminal cases, (iii) to review cases investigated by public security organs, (iv) to exercise supervision over the investigative activities of public security, (v) to initiate public prosecutions of criminal cases and support such prosecutions, (vi) to exercise supervision over the judicial activities of people's courts and (vii) to exercise supervision over the execution of judgments and orders in criminal cases.

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Photo 15: The 12th meeting of the members of the LCPC 16th Permanent Committee (left)

In the first row around the meeting table are members of the LCPC 16th Permanent Committee. These members have voting rights;

Photo 16: The chairmen of township People’s Congresses (right)

They sit in second row and in the third row sit the staff members LCPC and those who are specially invited.

The members listened to the government’s transaction of suggestions and motions submitted

by the LCPC deputies. The official from the County People’s Government (CPG) announced the 121 motions submitted. In his report, he read aloud and explained that according to the classification of the County government office, these motions include 30 motions that concerned transportation, 13 concerned education, 8 concerned finance, 7 concerned the tea industry and 63 concerned other issues. All the motions and suggestions are divided into 4 categories: A, transacted (36); B, underway (65); C, accepted but unresourced (16); D, noted but not actioned 41 (4). His announcement made it clear that the CPG had considered all the motions at the face value.

In the observation, the researcher noticed that what the CPG was concerned with was whether or not that the motions themselves on the paper have already been dealt with. This was because when some deputies asked the official whether the motions were transacted or not, he said that he had forwarded them to relevant government bureaux but did not know the results. So the issues included in the motions may not be tackled in reality. This inaction was observed and revealed by the speech given by the deputies after the official from the CPG finished his reading. The deputies in their speech listed several issues which were not actually

41 _{It means that the issue in the motions cannot be solved by the county-level government. However, the} county government knows this and the upper-government will solve it. For example, relating to the motion in 2013 “Motion on recruiting the university graduates majoring in tourism, hotel management and tea industry as civil servants”, the county government hasn’t the power to make a decision. The higher-level governments, prefectural and provincial, can decide this recruitment.

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solved, such as the management of tea industry. The motions related to development projects together with the previous years are discussed in Chapters Five, Six and Seven in this thesis.