CPC issues regulations banning nepotism in government, Party units

The spouse, children and relatives of a person appointed to the leading official post in a government or Party unit cannot be subordinate officials, accountants, auditors or human resources cadres in that unit during the official's tenure.

The ban appears in a regulation issued Sunday by the General Office of the Central Committee of the Communist Party of China (CPC). Another important CPC regulation deals with tenure of office and a third with job mobility.

The three regulations apply to officials of the CPC Central Committee, National People's Congress, State Council, National Committee of the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference, Supreme People's Court and Supreme People's Procuratorate, as well as local leading officials of Party units, government departments, people's congresses and political consultative conferences, courts and prosecuting organs at and above county level.

According to the new regulations, officials must not work in a government office that controls or supervises any industry or enterprise in which their family members hold shares.

The regulations also stipulate that officials cannot take on the leading posts in the CPC committee, government, court and prosecuting organs of the county and prefecture in which they are born and grow up.

If officials fail to implement the regulations, they will be criticized or given disciplinary punishment.

The regulation on tenure of office says officials should hold their posts for a term of five years to ensure stable and consistent implementation of policy.

Officials must complete their five-year term unless they reach retirement age, are in poor health, fail to perform their duties and need to be transferred, or are demoted or dismissed for wrongdoing, says the regulation.

When the five-year term is up, officials will be given an overall performance assessment of their work, and the result will be an important factor in future promotion, says the regulation.

After working in the same post for two consecutive five-year terms, officials will no longer be recommended or appointed to the post.

The job mobility regulation says officials who have held a post in the governmental, judicial or Party organs at county level or above for ten years must be transferred to new official posts in other places. The same holds true for officials who have held same-level posts in one prefecture for ten years.

Officials cannot refuse job transfers unless they are in poor health, under investigation for corruption or other wrongdoing, or will retire in no more than five years.

"Nepotism breeds corruption. An official occupying a post for a long time sometimes makes the official lazy or have power-for-money connections with local interests groups. The regulations aim to rein in nepotism and other malpractice caused by prolonged tenure possessing and ultimately fight corruption," said Chu Huaizhi, law professor with the Beijing University.

Many countries have similar laws and regulations on the system of withdrawal of officials and their family relatives. "I think the

regulations have drawn on their advanced international legal experiences, at the same time fully considered the actual situation of our own country," Chu said.

He said the regulations will also help ensure transparent tenure changes for Party and government officials at county level and above.

Before the CPC's 17th National Congress slated for next year, Party official appointments and governmental chiefs' elections have been in full swing.

By the end of this year or early 2007, the CPC is scheduled to finish Party chief appointments for a five-year term of office in more than 2,000 counties. And the heads of county governments will also be elected this year and early next year, according to the schedule made by the National People's Congress.

Source: Xinhua