CHANGSHA, Jan. 24 -- The central Chinese city of Hengyang on Friday reelected 60 provincial legislators after an electoral fraud scandal had led to the dismissal of over 500 lawmakers in December.

The 60 deputies to the 12th Hunan Provincial People's Congress were reelected by secret ballot from Hengyang City according to law at the fourth plenary session of the 14th Hengyang municipal people's congress, according to a statement from the Hengyang Municipal Committee of the Communist Party of China.

The new chairman of the Standing Committee of the Hengyang Municipal People's Congress was elected on Tuesday at the third session of the congress as former chairman Hu Guochu is under judicial investigation for his suspected involvement in electoral fraud.

Two vice mayors and several other legislative officials of Hengyang City were also elected at the session, the statement said.

The scandal in Hengyang emerged on Dec. 28 when the provincial legislature announced that more than 500 lawmakers in the city had been disqualified, dismissed or had resigned.

Altogether, 527 municipal lawmakers were present at the election of provincial lawmakers during the first session of the 14th Hengyang municipal people's congress between Dec. 28, 2012 and Jan. 3, 2013.

An investigation has shown that the 56 provincial legislators elected offered 110 million yuan (18 million U.S. dollars) in bribes to 518 municipal lawmakers and another 68 staff.

The provincial legislature disqualified the 56 lawmakers during a plenary meeting which concluded on Dec. 28 and legislative bodies in Hengyang accepted the resignations of 512 who took the bribes.

Another five provincial lawmakers who were not found to have offered bribes were nonetheless dismissed for serious dereliction of duty.