27 NPC deputies forced out for corruption

As a result of the national anti-graft drive, 27 deputies to China's top legislature have been dismissed or forced to resign since last March after they were placed under investigation for corruption.

According to thepaper.cn, one of the leading websites for exposing graft to the public, the deputies include government officials and heads of State-owned enterprises. An official familiar with National People's Congress procedures said more than a dozen newly elected deputies will fill the vacancies, bringing the number of deputies to an estimated 2,960 in this year's session.

The NPC and local people's congresses at all levels are the organs through which the people exercise state power. NPC deputies serve for five years and meet annually in a session that lasts about 10 days, starting from March 5. In 2014, 2,983 members represented more than 1.3 billion people in China in the session.