China's leaders held poll for Politburo

China’s Communist Party held a poll of leading members for the first time before appointing the incoming Politburo, signaling a change in the previously fixed election process, Reuters reported, citing state media. The party “democratically recommended” members for the 25-member Politburo and the seven-seat Politburo Standing Committee, during a meeting in May, Xinhua News Agency reported shortly after the new leadership was announced on Thursday. The poll involved the consideration of a prospective candidate’s party loyalty, integrity, age and previous activity. The new process also included casual discussions and requests for the opinions of unnamed people, Xinhua reported, without elaborating. In previous leadership transitions, party members’ votes were fixed, as the number of positions was the same as the number of hopefuls. Wider party input into the top posts may be a move to shore up top leaders legitimacy amid discontent caused by an increasing wealth gap and corruption scandals.