Confining the Exercise of Power Within an Institutional Cage
At the second plenary session of the 18th CPC Central Commission for Discipline Inspection in January 2013, Xi Jinping emphasized that constraints and supervision over power had to be strengthened and that power had to be confined within an institutional cage, so as to create punitive mechanisms which make people dare not be corrupt, which prevent them from being corrupt, and which eliminate their desire to be corrupt. Institutions are, by their nature, fundamental, all-encompassing, stabilizing and long-lasting.
To confine power within an institutional cage is to use institutions to control power. To do so, the cage must first be built. The crux is to control power. To form a tight-knit institutional cage, powers must be delineated and allocated according to the principle that decisions, execution and supervision should be mutually constraining and mutually coordinated, thereby creating a rigorous system of checks and supervision over the use of power.
The people must be given the power to scrutinize; efforts must be made to form a scientific and effective supervisory system which strengthens effective joint supervision. Power must be exercised transparently: we should promote the transparent and standardized exercise of power, improve the openness of the Party, administrative and judicial work and open work procedures in all areas. A list of powers should be drawn up, powers must match responsibilities, and we must demand that those in power be held responsible, and that those who fail in their duties be held accountable. We must oppose the idea and the phenomena of special privileges, never tolerate the use of power for personal gain, and never tolerate the existence of special privileges.
把权力关进制度的笼子
2013年1月，习近平在十八届中央纪委二次全会上强调，加强对权力运行的制约和监督，把权力关进制度的笼子里，形成不敢腐的惩戒机制、不能腐的防范机制、不易腐的保障机制。制度问题更带有根本性、全局性、稳定性、长期性。用制度管权，就是要把权力关进制度的笼子里。把权力关进制度的笼子里，首先要建好笼子。必须抓住治权这个关键，编密扎紧制度的笼子，按照决策、执行、监督既相互制约又相互协调的原则区分和配置权力，构建严密的权力运行制约和监督体系。必须让人民监督权力，努力形成科学有效的监督体系，增强监督合力和实效；让权力在阳光下运行，推进权力运行公开化、规范化，完善党务公开、政务公开、司法公开和各领域办事公开制度；建立权力清单、实行权责对应，坚持有权就有责，失职要问责；反对特权思想、特权现象，决不允许以权谋私，决不允许搞特权。