Party elections watched closely

BEIJING - The Party's discipline watchdogs and personnel authorities have increased their supervision of ongoing elections within local Party organs, a senior official said at a news conference on Monday.

Candidates seeking positions within local Party committees who are found to have attempted to lobby or bribe voters will invite severe punishment, said Zhang Jinan, deputy chief of the Organization Department of the Communist Party of China (CPC) Central Committee and member of the Standing Committee of the CPC's Central Commission for Discipline Inspection . Zhang was speaking at a news conference jointly held by the two departments.

Individuals will be punished if wrongdoing is discovered, even if the discovery happens after the guilty person has taken office, he said. And people could be in line for a variety of disciplinary chastisements including demotion, forced resignation or dismissal.