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Last updated at: (Beijing Time) Tuesday, December 10, 2002

Sunshine of Democracy on News-Stalls

Gazette of the People's Government of Anhui Province No.22, 2002 issued on December 2 appeared on some newsstands and put to retail sale in Hefei. What does it signify?


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According to China Youth Daily last Thursday, Gazette of the People's Government of Anhui Province No.22, 2002 issued on December 2 appeared on some newsstands and put to retail sale in Hefei, capital of Anhui Province. The Gazette No. 22, published by the provincial general office, covers such contents as legal texts, official documents, personnel appointments, provincial economic operation, selected department documents and many others as of people's life and work.

As learned, it is the first time that government gazettes, reckoned as "red-lettered documents" before, have been sold on newsstands in Anhui. This time is just a trial, with an eye to letting more people learn of government documents and utilize them.

This move, which the government had its work revealed in the sun in the hope to receive feedback and supervision by the broad masses of people and raise the transparency of policies, did mark progress in a sense. Decrees, though concern interests of the masses of the people, have been mainly issued as "red-lettered documents" by government and functional departments over a long period. Thus, only personnel with government departments have intimate contacts with these decrees, while ordinary people have no access, in whose eyes "red-lettered documents" are covered with a mysterious "head-kerchief". Although policies defined in documents have a direct bearing on the people's interests, ordinary people have never had the right to be acquainted, let alone taking part in policy-making.

To be objective, "red-lettered documents", which touch upon items in the initial stage as of confidential, must be dispatched till a certain level. For those having nothing to do with state security, politics, economy or military and closely bound up with people's immediate interests should government officials still cling to administrative rankings, decline to drop pretentious airs and approach common people, it would be a matter of modes of thought.

The essence of "red-lettered documents", in the final analysis, means no more than policies formulated by governments in a bid to serve common people. On one hand, common people are entitled to have a detailed understanding, and on which basis they agree to be served. On the other hand, only effective supervision by common people can guarantee "red-lettered documents" a conscientious implementation. But suppose common people seldom had a chance to catch a sight of "red-lettered documents", supervision would be rather a luxury word. The anxiety of some local governments about having "red-lettered documents" published probably proceeds from the intention to evade supervision by common people.

Logically, "red-lettered documents" must be enacted in line with the state laws and regulations, and so must their contents. However, "red-lettered documents" in violation of laws occur repeatedly in real life, nothing that news are disclosed now and then that common people in some areas are forced to buy mineral water and cement produced by local factories.

Survey shows that recent years see an upward momentum of cases, in which common people accuse local government officials because of "red-lettered documents" in breach of laws and regulation. Though some unauthorized local policies have been checked up in some areas, prospects are not yet optimistic. If common people bear a clear understanding about "red-lettered documents" issued by governments, which is tantamount to supervision on documents executives, then illegal and irrational policies such as that of abusing power for personal gain can be prevented to a degree.

By PD Online Staff Zhu Lizhen


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