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By Xinhua News Agency Special Commentator
In view of the main manifestations of unhealthy tendencies that have appeared in recent years in the selection and appointment of cadres, the Central Committee of the Communist Party of China (CPC) has promulgated the Regulations on the Work of Selecting and Appointing Leading Party and Government Cadres (hereinafter referred to as the "Regulations on Selecting and Appointing Cadres"), which include concrete provisions on preventing and holding in check unhealthy tendencies by tracking the origin of such tendencies and addressing both the symptoms and root cause. The Regulations on Selecting and Appointing Cadres are the basic rules and regulations to be abided by in selecting and appointing leading Party and government cadres, as well as a powerful weapon for preventing and correcting unhealthy tendencies in personnel affairs.
Personnel work has always been an issue that concerns the will of the people and the safety of the nation. In history, there has been no lack of examples of corrupt government leading to "the death of a leader and the end of his rule," examples from which lessons should be drawn. After summing up historical experiences, the CPC has decided that the guideline for cadre appointment should be that of choosing people on their merits, and resolutely opposing appointment by favoritism and other unhealthy tendencies. In recent years, while dealing with the breaches of discipline and regulations by officials in accordance with the requirements of the CPC Central Committee, Party committees at all levels have paid attention to tackling such breaches at their roots, and constantly strengthened the reform of the personnel system. While notable results have been achieved in this connection, we should be soberly aware that malpractices have occurred time and again in selecting and appointing cadres in some localities and departments, with some of the cases being rather serious. Some people appoint officials disregarding the Party's principles, promising high posts and other favors; some seek to forge special ties, solicit social connections or look for backers, trying by hook or by crook to get official posts; some engage in non-organizational activities, canvass votes, and even practice bribery at elections; others strike deals between power and power, or between power and money, buy or sell official posts. These unhealthy tendencies and corrupt phenomena have seriously interfered with the implementation of the Party's line, principles and policies in personnel work, undermined the Party's style of work, and done harm to the Party's image. The people hate such aberrations bitterly. Party committees at all levels should take the promulgation and implementation of the Regulations on Selecting and Appointing Cadres as an opportunity to fully use these Regulations as a powerful weapon, and resolutely prevent and rectify malpractices in personnel affairs.
To prevent and rectify unhealthy tendencies in personnel matters, we must expand democracy in personnel work. Democracy is an important guarantee for making decisions in a scientific way, as well as an effective measure for restraining and supervising the use of power. We should uphold the principle of democratic centralism, bring inner-Party democracy into full play, widen the democratic channels within the Party, and improve the collective decision-making system, whereby the appointment of officials must be discussed by the relevant Party committee. We should ensure the people access to information about cadre selection and appointment, and their rights to participate, choose and exercise supervision in the process. We should make sure that all the people concerned understand the standards for evaluating, selecting and appointing officials, and spare no effort to form a favorable atmosphere in which the people actively participate in and exercise earnest supervision over cadre selection and appointment, and Party committees and organization and personnel departments at all levels adhere to principles and handle affairs according to law, so as to check the growth and spread of unhealthy tendencies in personnel affairs.
To prevent and rectify unhealthy tendencies in personnel matters, it is necessary to reinforce supervision over the selection and appointment of cadres. Supervision is a key measure for discovering and preventing problems, and for stopping up loopholes. We should strengthen our sense of taking the initiative in supervision, advance the checkpoints of supervision, and reinforce supervision beforehand as well as during the course of work, so as to ensure that supervision runs through the entire course of cadre selection and appointment. The Regulations on Selecting and Appointing Cadres have summed up our Party's cadre supervision work, especially the experiences of supervision and examination of the implementation of the Interim Regulations on the Work of Selecting and Appointing Leading Party and Government Cadres, further improved the supervision system, beefed up supervision measures, tightened up work discipline, and provided a powerful weapon for further strengthening the supervision of cadre selection and appointment work. We should, in accordance with the Regulations on Selecting and Appointing Cadres, improve the various rules and regulations in this regard, set up and improve the work responsibility system and the responsibility ascertainment system for cadre selection and appointment as soon as possible. We should make efforts to improve the supervision system, and form a joint supervision force by integrating inner-Party supervision, legal supervision, mass supervision and public opinion supervision. We should emphasize reinforcing the supervision over leading personnel and their work in cadre selection and appointment, especially the supervision over the "first-in-command" in personnel matters. With the Regulations on Selecting and Appointing Cadres as the main basis, we should form a scientific, standardized and effective supervision mechanism.
To prevent and rectify unhealthy tendencies in personnel matters, we must strictly follow established procedures for cadre selection and appointment. These procedures are a necessary means for realizing democracy and supervision, and the essential form for standardizing the process of selection. The Regulations on Selecting and Appointing Cadres include strict stipulations concerning various links in terms of procedures, such as recommendation, investigation, consultation, deliberation, decision-making, exchange and avoidance, resignation and demotion, and disciplinary supervision, with firm practical goals for preventing and correcting unhealthy tendencies in personnel affairs. Party committees and organization and personnel departments at all levels should handle affairs according to regulations, strictly and firmly follow proper procedures, uphold established principles unswervingly, strictly adhere to relevant standards, and abide by discipline unrelaxingly.
To prevent and rectify unhealthy tendencies in personnel matters, we must enforce personnel work discipline strictly. The Regulations on Selecting and Appointing Cadres have made stricter and more comprehensive regulations on the measures of discipline and punishment as regards personnel work, and enriched the contents of the "ten prohibitions," featuring a high level of authoritativeness, seriousness and binding force. We should resolutely overcome and rectify such aberrant phenomena as disregarding established regulations and disciplinary rules; and all actions in violation of the Regulations on Selecting and Appointing Cadres shall, no matter what units or persons are involved, be investigated and handled in great earnest, allowing for no indulgence. If a locality or department engages in grave malpractices in personnel matters, to the great dissatisfaction of the cadres and general public, and if acts in violation of organizational and personnel discipline are not properly handled, the responsibilities of the main leaders of the relevant Party committee (or leading Party members' group) and the leading official in charge of the locality or department shall be investigated and affixed.
Party committees and leaders at all levels shoulder major responsibility for preventing and rectifying unhealthy tendencies in personnel matters. Leaders, especially principal leaders, should set an example in implementing all the provisions as prescribed in the Regulations on Selecting and Appointing Cadres, and resolutely fight against unhealthy tendencies in personnel matters. Organization and personnel departments at all levels should resolutely uphold principles, be fair and upright, resist unhealthy tendencies boldly, and perform their duties in a down-to-earth way. In the spirit of advancing with the times, we should keep exploring new ways and means for cadre supervision, and improve the relevant rules and regulations. So long as we carry out the Regulations on Selecting and Appointing Cadres in great earnest, a favorable situation will surely arise, in which slews of talented people measuring up to the requirements of the "Three Represents" will mature and come into prominence rapidly, and display their abilities to the full.
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