In the municipalities of Beijing, Shanghai and Tianjin, the
latest reshuffle of the chiefs of anti-graft bodies displays the
resolve of the? Communist Party of China?to halt
corruption through strengthened supervision, experts said
yesterday.
They were commenting on the appointments of top graft busters in
the three cities.
Ma Zhipeng, a standing committee member of the Central
Commission for Discipline Inspection (CCDI), has been appointed
secretary of the Beijing Commission for Discipline Inspection.
Shen Deyong, vice president of the Supreme People's Court and a
standing committee member of CCDI, takes up the post of secretary
of the Shanghai Commission for Discipline Inspection. Shen replaces
Luo Shiqian who remains a city deputy Party secretary. ?
Zang Xianfu, deputy secretary of the State Organs Work Committee
of the CPC, has been appointed secretary of the Tianjin Commission
for Discipline Inspection.
The three officials join the list of disciplinary heads in the
six other provinces of Guangdong, Zhejiang, Anhui, Henan, Shanxi
and Fujian who were appointed earlier this year from outside the
provinces.
"The reshuffle highlights the top leadership's concerns over the
anti-corruption situation in these key areas," said Li Chengyan, a
professor at Peking University. He said the new graft busters in
the three municipalities were "parachuting" into the new posts with
two having a background in the Party's top anti-corruption
body.
A series of corruption scandals involving some high-ranking
officials have shocked the country.
Shanghai's Party secretary Chen Liangyu was dismissed in
September following allegations that he and other city officials
were involved in the misuse of the city's 10 billion yuan (US$1.27
billion) social security fund. The money was allegedly illicitly
invested in potentially risky real estate and toll road
projects.
Top city government and Party officials are among dozens of
people reportedly implicated in the scandal.
In June, Liu Zhihua, vice-mayor of Beijing, was removed from his
post for alleged involvement in corruption.
Wang Baoming, professor with the China National School of
Administration, said the "parachuting" in of the graft busters
reminded him of the case of Chen Xitong, former Beijing Party
chief, who was sacked and imprisoned in 1995 for corruption. Wei
Jianxing, then secretary of the CCDI, was appointed to replace Chen
from 1995 to 1997.
"The new anti-graft officials' experience will definitely
enhance supervision in such key areas as Beijing, Shanghai and
Tianjin," Wang said.
While noting these appointments were a normal "exchange of
officials" from different regions, Gao Xinmin, a professor with the
Central Party School, agreed the move would help deter
corruption.
"Rather than picking officials locally the central government is
obviously trying to encourage the exchange of officials from
different places," Gao said. "The move will help curb
nepotism."
(China Daily December 6, 2006)