Government and Policy

More officials selected through competitive elections

(Xinhua)
Updated: 2010-07-26 15:48

BEIJING - Three key Ministry of Public Security (MPS) department heads have taken office after several rounds of "competitive elections," reflecting increased openness, fairness and democratic decision-making in the selection of officials.

The three new MPS bureau heads are: Wu Heping, director of the Publicity Department; Liu Yuejin, director of the Drug Control Bureau; and Bi Xiaoming, head of the Bureau for Retirees.

The three were selected out of the 311 candidates who were interviewed for the positions.

Yang Fengrui, former Drug Control Bureau director and Liu's predecessor, said 35 people recommended themselves for the three posts and that other candidates were recommended by colleagues and superiors.

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"The selection process was greatly opened to voters' views, enabling them to elect the most capable people. Previously, only leaders could nominate candidates, and the selection process was opaque," Yang said.

During the interviews, candidates were asked professional questions that were "closely related to the positions they were vying for."

The nine judges were officials from the Communist Party of China (CPC)'s Central Commission for Discipline Inspection; the Organization Department of the CPC Central Committee, which is in charge of officials' selection; the Ministry of Human Resources and Social Security; and the MPS itself.

During the selection process, judges elicited the opinions of both high-level officials and ordinary members of the departments.

Wang Yixing, deputy director of the MPS General Office, said the election of the three bureau heads is "a guide for future elections of MPS officials."

Traditionally, officials in various levels of government in China were appointed by superiors or elected in non-competitive or single-candidate elections.

Over the last decade, though, the central leadership has pushed for election reforms nationwide.

Open debate and competitiveness have been the hallmarks of the selection of grassroots-level officials, especially the election of village heads, allowing capable and talented people to hold public offices.

The Outline for the Deepening of the Reform of Official Selection (2010-2020) released at the end of 2009 said competitive elections must be introduced for the appointment of officials.

"By the end of 2015, no less than one third of new officials at the departmental level in a ministry or a provincial government must be selected through competitive election," it stipulates.

Some people worry that open debates and competitive elections will lead to an "ostentatious election show." They also fear that election outcomes can be decided at higher levels before the election, with the election itself a charade designed to give the illusion of democratic decision-making.

Li Chunsheng, director of the MPS Personnel Training Department and a member of the ministry's Competitive Election Leading Group, said corruption in officials' selection must be rooted out.

The expansion of democracy will continue as efforts must be made to allow the most "qualified" person to hold key positions, an Organization Department of the CPC Central Committee statement regarding the MPS's competitive elections said.