Party Has No Hiding Place for Corrupt ElementsThe People's Daily publishes a special commentary April 21 concerning the Party's decision to expel Cheng Kejie, a corrupt senior official."There Is No Hiding Place for Corrupt Elements in the Party" reads the title. The commentary accuses Cheng, a former vice-chairman of the Standing Committee of the National People's Congress and former chairman of the Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region, for abusing his power, taking bribes and leading a dissipated life. The Communist Party of China Central Committee with Jiang Zemin at the core has always put emphasis on discipline and made greater efforts in fighting against corruption, the article says. In recent years, a number of ranking officials including Chen Xitong, Wang Baosen and Hu Changqing have been punished for breaking the law and violating the Party discipline. The commentary describes the relationship between the Party and corruption as that between fire and water. "Our Party will definitely show no mercy" toward corrupt officials, regardless of their rank or position, the article says. The Party is confident and capable of eliminating corruption and maintaining honesty, it adds, pledging, "there are no hiding places in the Party for corruptive officials" The article says that after over 20 years of reform, China has made remarkable achievements in all fields, which "is the glory of our Party and the pride of the Chinese nation". A large number of Party members have become the backbone of the country's reform and modernization drive, the article says, noting that the majority of Party members are good. Some residual bad elements still exist today, while some deep- rooted problems are coming to the surface. The article also blames hostile Western forces who are attempting to "Westernize" and "disintegrate" China. As a result, some people worship bourgeois value and life-style. Corrupt elements have slid into the abyss of crime via ideological decay and ethical degeneration, it says. The article depicts corruption as a cancer that spreads over the Party. The article stresses the importance of strictly controlling the Party, saying that Party officials must be strictly supervised. It reiterates the Party's principles of democratic centralism and criticism and self-criticism. Leading officials must be supervised wherever they exercise their power, it says, adding that the number-one person of a leadership should be the focus of the supervision as the number-ones are the main target of people and the corruption of a few of them will impose greater negative impact on society. To ensure a victory for the anti-corruption campaign, education is the basis; legal system is the guarantee; and supervision is the key, according to the article. The soil on which corruption is growing should be eradicated through reforms. In China, a socialist country, all powers belong to the people, while all officials are servants to the people and must be supervised by the people. While the anti-corruption campaign should not adopt the form of mass movement, it must follow the Party line, says the article, stressing that the anti-corruption campaign will not succeed without the participation of the people. The anti-corruption campaign is a long-term and arduous task for the Party and will be carried out throughout the reform period, the article says. |
| Please visit People's Daily Online --- http://www.peopledaily.com.cn/english/ |