Some of the city's property owners will be able to make decisions about their community through a new online platform starting Oct 1.

The website, which is being provided by the local government, will allow homeowners to vote in various polls organized by their homeowners' association, said officials with the Beijing Municipal Commission of Housing and Urban-Rural Development on Wednesday.

The online platform has begun on a trial basis for residents of a community named Xin Tian Di before it is rolled out in the city.

Regulations, including the Property Law and the Property Management Regulations, stipulate that property owners have decision-making rights in 20 categories of public affairs in their communities and can help to elect an owners' committee, select or fire a property management company and decide about renovations and construction in public areas within their complexes.

Often, participation in the past has meant turning up at owners' meetings.

Sui Zhenjiang, head of the commission, said the platform will make it easier to take part in decision making and enhance the transparency and fairness of a community's voting process.

"The efficient way of voting will promote owners' enthusiasm to participate," he said.

Zhang Nongke, deputy head of the commission, said they are considering making the website available in other languages including English, Japanese and Korean because more and more expatriates now own homes in the capital.

Homeowners taking part in the pilot will receive a card on Oct 1 that contains their account names and passwords.

In addition to its online functions, the card can also be used to pay electricity and water bills.

"Owners' profiles will be put on the card, which will bond the user to a telecommunication system," he said.

"It means some senior citizens, who hardly use computers, will be able to vote by replying to cell phone messages with a yes or no."

Zhang Daxian, head of the owners' committee in Xin Tian Di community where the system will be tested, said the online platform will ensure fairness in community affairs because owners will be able to vote "anonymously".

He said the current community voting system, which normally is held in a property management company's office and involves voters marking ballots, is prone to cheating.

"The online platform will reduce the possibility of cheating and enable votes and polls to be held more efficiently," Zhang added.

China Daily

(China Daily 09/30/2010)