The disciplinary watchdog of the Communist Party of China (CPC)
warned local authorities on Tuesday to rigorously observe rules on
assessing work performance in the ongoing nationwide leadership
reshuffle, in a bid to prevent the promotion of corrupt
officials.
"Concrete measures should be taken in line with the rules to
ensure job performance assessments are real, and to prevent corrupt
officials from being appointed or promoted to higher positions,"
said Xia Zanzhong, deputy-secretary of the CPC Central Commission
of Discipline Inspection (CCDI).
Some Party and government officials who have committed serious
crimes such as embezzlement and bribery are able to continue their
political rise before being caught.
A recent example was Hu Xing, former deputy director of the
Yunnan Provincial Transport Department, who was arrested in
February for taking more than 40 million yuan (US$5.2 million) in
bribes and keeping a mistress.
Prosecution documents claim he received over 50,000 yuan
(US$6,500) in bribes as far back as 1995, when he was working for
the city planning section of Kunming City, capital of Yunnan Province.
China has been going through nationwide party leadership
elections and reshuffles at the provincial, municipal, county and
township levels since last year in anticipation of the CPC National
Congress.
The CCDI and the CPC Organization Department have issued a
circular, asking all local party committees to crack down on
irregularities in the selection of new leaders and make sure that
those elected are qualified.
The CPC also vowed to improve supervision of the elections and
said those involved in unlawful activities, especially buying or
selling official posts, will be seriously punished.
Those who fail to fulfill their supervisory duties during the
elections and whose negligence lead to corruption and the promotion
of wrong people will also be held accountable.
The CCDI and CPC Organization Department jointly held a press
conference in July last year to announce that eight CPC officials
had been punished, some with long jail terms, for buying or selling
government jobs. The move was seen as a move to deter similar
corrupt practices in elections.
Xia said in an exclusive interview with Xinhua that, in order to
ensure clean and honest administration of the Party and government,
a series of new reform measures are in the pipeline:
-- Government departments will be relieved of some
administrative authority, especially in granting business or other
permits. More government affairs and operations are to come under
public scrutiny, especially those concerning the public
interest;
-- Government bodies will be requested to strictly separate
expenditure from income to avoid conflicts of interests;
-- More people's jurors and supervisors from outside the
judiciary should be installed at legal proceedings to ensure trials
are open and fair.
In an effort to build a clean government, the State Council
issued a 55-article regulation two weeks ago, warning officials
against a variety of wrongdoings and misconduct.
Government officials in China risk the sack if they use their
influence to benefit a lover or become involved in other forms of
corrupt behavior, according to the regulation, the first of its
kind to systematically stipulate administrative punishments of
civil servants for abuse of power.
The regulations also state that those who organize
"superstitious gatherings", use drugs, engage in the sex trade or
fail to fulfill their duties can be demoted or fired.
Xia said China is making "active efforts" to set up a
state-level corruption prevention institution, which aims to stem
graft at its source.
He said setting up the institution would bolster China's fight
against corruption and help promote the country's efforts to expand
international anti-graft cooperation.
But Xia neglected to say when the institution will start
operation and how it would collaborate with the CCDI or other
judicial departments.
According to CCDI statistics, 97,260 of the CPC's 70 million
members were punished for corruption in 2006. The punishments
extended to prosecution for 3,530 officials, seven of whom were at
or above the level of minister or governor.
(Xinhua News Agency May 16, 2007)