Preparations for the upcoming 18th party congress are not running as smoothly as portrayed by state media, with a dozen constituencies, including Chongqing and Beijing, yet to hold their own party congress to elect their representatives.
The People's Daily, the party mouthpiece, ran an article on its front page on Thursday, claiming that more than two-thirds of electoral units had 'elected' their delegates.
Of 40 constituencies for the party congress, the article said, 28 - four central ones and 24 at the provincial level - had finished their elections. 'A total of 2,270 delegates, elected from 80 million party members nationwide, will attend the 2012 national congress, 50 more than those at the 17th congress five years ago,' it read.
The article depicted the upcoming meeting as a focus of worldwide attention. It will be held in the second half of this year but no clue was given as to the month. It discounted overseas speculation it might be held as late as January due to a power struggle within the party's top echelon triggered by the downfall of former Chongqing party secretary Bo Xilai in March.
Two provincial-level municipalities have delayed holding their regional congresses, which means more than 100 delegates will be confirmed later than scheduled.
Zhang Dejiang, the Chongqing party secretary appointed after Bo's downfall, was quoted by the Chongqing Daily as having told high-ranking officials in the city in mid-March the municipal party congress would be held in May.
In mid-May, however, Zhou Yong, Chongqing's deputy propaganda chief, told the South China Morning Post it would be held in June, while saying there was 'no special reason for the delay'.