The latest regulation on promotion and demotion of Party cadres is an important measure to more strictly govern officials.
The Communist Party of China (CPC) issued a regulation on the promotion and demotion of officials on Monday. The regulation said the CPC will strengthen its management of officials, adding that a high-quality ranking system must be established to create a clean political environment.
The regulation aims to fix a longtime problem in China's political system that allows officials to be promoted or stay at the same level, but does not let them be demoted unless they commit violations of CPC rules or the law.
STRICTER PARTY GOVERNANCE
The key to governing the Party with stricter discipline is management of cadres. Since the 18th National Congress of the CPC in 2012, the Party's central authority has made a series of rules about selection and appointment of cadres, training, reports of personal issues, accountability, and "naked officials" whose family members have moved abroad.
"In China's official personnel system, there's a lingering problem in which convention seems to allow officials to be promoted or stay at the same level, and they can only be demoted if they make mistakes," said Yao Wenzhi, vice minister of the Organization Department of east China's Zhejiang Province. Yao added that the CPC, since its rule began in 1949, has been fully aware of the problem and has been trying to fix it.
In 1978, the Party abolished de facto lifelong tenure for leading posts and established and improved retirement, tenure and accountability systems. However, it still lacks a system for demoting officials.
The new rule is the first the CPC has made for demotion, according to experts.
The regulation stipulates concrete rules for the demotion of officials based on lessons taken from CPC cadre team-building, especially in recent years, said Dai Yanjun, professor with the Party School of the CPC Central Committee.
Dai said the regulation is a breakthrough in reforming the cadre and personnel system in China and showcases the CPC's determination to strictly govern the party.
"We can expect that the implementation of the regulation will strengthen the CPC's management of officials and help build a clean political environment and a team of competent cadres," said Yao.
