China's central government has seen its own officials elected to
anti-graft posts in four key cities, reversing the past practice
that saw local officials promoted to those jobs.
At Tianjin's party congress which concluded on June 2, Zang
Xianpu, formerly an official with the Chinese Communist Party's
(CPC) Central Committee, was elected Secretary to the Commission
for Discipline Inspection (CDI) of the northern port city.
Zang Xianpu, Secretary to
the CDI of Tianjin Municipality
Zang is the fourth newly-elected anti-graft chief in the four
provincial-level municipalities to have formerly worked for the
central government.
"It sends such a message that the new discipline watchdog chiefs
will no longer be tied to local officials," said a commentary on
the government-run website People.com.cn.
"The key is to ensure the independence of discipline
watchdogs."
These anti-graft chiefs who have been "parachuted in" will have
more leeway to investigate corruption as they are less likely to be
influenced by local interest groups, an analyst said.
In September 2006, China began to reshuffle its party leaders in
all its provinces, municipalities and autonomous regions in the
run-up to its national party congress this autumn.
The discipline watchdog chiefs in Beijing, Ma Zhipeng, and in
Shanghai, Shen Deyong, are both former members of the Standing
Committee of CDI's Central Commission for Discipline
Inspection. In Chongqing, Xu Jingye, was former discipline
inspection chief of the Ministry of Commerce.
Ma Zhipeng, Secretary
to the CDI of Beijing Municipality
Shen Deyong,
Secretary to the CDI of Shanghai Municipality
Xu Jingye Secretary
to the CDI of Chongqing Municipality
The four officials will serve five-year terms, according to the
Party's election law.
The newly elected discipline watchdog chiefs will also not
concurrently hold the post of vice party secretary of the
municipalities' CPC committee as they have in the past, giving them
a freer hand to deal with corruption.
(Xinhua News Agency June 13, 2007)
