The 19 new "first ladies" of recently
installed Party chiefs and local mayors must have felt like were getting
anything but the royal treatment when they were taken to a prison to see just
how badly things could turn out.
The spouses of Party and government leaders in Liuyang City of central
China's Hunan Province, were asked to meet with people who had learned first
hand what it was like to be a convicted wife of a corrupt official.
A number of jurisdictions are asking new leaders to visit prisons to meet
with former government heavyweights who are serving time for corruption. The
visits are seen as a preemptive deterrent that keeps new comers to power focused
on honesty and integrity.
It's thought the visit to Hunan's Women's Prison by the 19 wives was the
first time spouses were exposed to the harsh consequences of greed and graft.
There's good reason for the stark reality check. According to estimates,
nearly 80 percent of officials charged with corruption had help from their
spouses and children.
One of the hosts of the 19 wives was a prisoner who served as an example of a
"bad spouse of a Party and government leader." She was convicted of taking
bribes on her husband's behalf and landed both of them in jail.
"She was so regretful that she burst into tears," said one of the wives.
Luo Jiaguang, deputy secretary of the municipal Party committee for
disciplinary, organized the tour. "The 19 men now have more power than at any
other time in their lives," Luo said. "Experience tells us that quite a number
of them may come under investigation by our office. The tour for their spouses
serves as a warning to the women to be 'virtuous helpers' and not bad
instigators."
Many of the wives were not happy about having to visit the prison. Local news
reports said many felt hurt. "I feel like I'm not trusted," one complained.
The tearful confession by the corrupt official's wife changed their mind.
"The visit is in fact a show of concern and care for us," an unidentified wife
of a township mayor said. "I've learned that wives have an important role in
keeping their husbands out of corruption."
Not everyone agrees the wives' tour will have its desired effect.
According to an online poll by the People's Daily Website, 43 percent of
respondents rated the visit as "meaningless, just a show," 36 percent said it
was well-intentioned, but doubt it will be effective, and 21 percent said it was
a good idea and will be useful.
Wang Wei, a prosecutor from Jiangsu Province, wrote that he doubted the tour
would be a "deterrent to curbing abuse of power, especially since
anti-corruption controls are still flawed."