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County Party secretaries

(China Daily)
Updated: 2009-10-16 08:06

Whether the Party secretary of a county - the top leader in the area - uses his power in the best interests of local residents makes a huge difference to the political stability and economic prosperity of this country.

As the old adage goes, when all counties are governed well, there should be no problem for the running of the entire country. In spite of the great change in the political system, county government as the lowest level governing body has been playing a pivotal role when it comes to how the country is run.

In a survey on the image of county Party secretaries conducted online by People's Forum magazine and People's Daily website, 74 percent of the more than 5,000 respondents said that they are more powerful than ever and enjoy more public attention.

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True, compared with their counterparts before the 1970s and even those in the 1980s, they shoulder not only the responsibility of carrying out the policies of the central authorities, but that of being the general architect of local economic development and social progress.

They are the ones who make sure that central policies are duly implemented. So any malpractice or mistake in the process of carrying out the policies gets reflected as specific problems at this level. Of course, the role they play has a direct impact on how well the policies are implemented. In addition, as local decision makers, their decisions have a direct bearing on the lives of people in the area. That is why they get so much attention.

That also explains why more than 80 percent of respondents agree that corruption affects the image of this group of leaders the most.

They are the closest to the locals and it is easy for them to know about their real concerns. But at the same time, as they are the farthest from the control of the central authorities, it is easier for them to bend central policies and abuse power.

Eighteen county-level Party secretaries were investigated for selling government positions in 2007 in East China's Anhui province; and in a single county, Party secretaries during three consecutive terms were arrested for abuse of power. There are other examples of how despotic and corrupt some county Party secretaries are.

There are more than 2,000 county Party secretaries, and how they discharge their duties has a bearing on the future of the Party and the country.

Fortunately, the central authorities arranged for them to receive training in the Party School of the Central Committee the Communist Party of China (CPC) . The Organization Department of the CPC Central Committee has launched a program from 2002 in four provinces on how to best supervise county Party secretaries in their selection and appointment of officials. The program, on a trial basis, has been carried out in 17 provinces and regions.

Most county Party secretaries are young and well educated. But education has often failed as a check against being corrupt in office or by power. There is still a long way to go before the use of power by county Party secretaries can be kept within limits.

(China Daily 10/16/2009 page8)