To Zhao,
Actually I have never denied that the presidency in China was elected by a very few in the CCP. I claimed previously that it was the National Assembly was the assembly responsible, perhaps I was wrong in that aspect. I should have been more precise and said not elected by general elections.
I don't find the US to be the paradigm of democracy. The English parliamentary system is my definition of the perfect check and balance with its supreme courts ruling and accountability with its Parliamentary supremacy. It is also the basis of American democracy in many aspect -- and the democracy of most nations world wide, if not all.
Either ways, this goes deeper than the frequency and the number of parties (which there are more than two of in the Parliamentary system). There's the issue of centralization, of general consensus, and of accountability. All extremely important in determining the level of people's involvement in politics.

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