Stepping up its fight against corruption, the Beijing Municipal Committee of the Communist Party of China (CPC) has set up four inspection groups to oversee top district and county officials as well as municipal bureau directors.

The inspection groups will operate alongside such existing mechanisms as local discipline inspection committees, inspection authorities and local people’s congresses to supervise government work and officials.

The groups will inspect top officials of the capital city’s 18 districts and counties twice during each five-year term of office, said Feng Shuliang, executive vice secretary of the Beijing Municipal Committee for Discipline Inspection of the CPC.

Inspections of some officials could take up to two months, Feng said.

In addition to examining political achievements and behavior, the inspection groups will ascertain governmental responsibility in the event of major accidents.

The inspection groups will also work with auditing authorities and judicial departments if necessary.

Inspection results will be an important reference to evaluate government officials and determine whether to keep them in their posts or remove them, Feng said.

The four groups and a coordinating office will report to the Beijing Municipal Committee for Discipline Inspection of the CPC and the Organization Department of the Beijing Municipal Committee of the CPC.

“If the inspection groups fail to fulfill their duties--for example, if they fail to uncover corrupt officials--they will be held responsible,” Gao Ming, a press officer with the discipline inspection committee said Monday.

He noted that additional details of the plan are now being drafted by the Beijing Municipal Committee of the CPC and may soon be released.

The inspection groups will be headed by four former vice secretaries of various district committees of the CPC, including Wang Tieyang, former vice secretary of the Fengtai District Committee of the CPC and the district discipline inspection committee secretary.

Every group has seven members, including the group leader. The coordinating office has a staff of five. Most of the group members are from the Beijing Municipal Committee for Discipline Inspection of the CPC and the Organization Department of the Beijing Municipal Committee of the CPC.

None of the inspectors will be assigned to districts or counties where they have worked before.

Inspections were started in 1996, but have never before been conducted by an independent organization.

Experts point out that at present, there is no perfect system to supervise government officials.

In addition regular supervision from the Beijing Municipal Committee for Discipline Inspection of the CPC and the Beijing Municipal Inspection Bureau, the Beijing Municipal People’s Congress--the city’s top legislative body--will begin annual evaluations of senior government officials, including vice mayors.

(China Daily May 11, 2004)