Incompetent officials have no place to hide
Source: Xinhua |
March 9, 2011, Wednesday
|
Print Edition
Print Edition
INCOMPETENT government officials will no longer be able to hide behind their departments when sued by citizens.
That's the signal sent by an east China city which has meted out punishments to 12 officials after abuses of power ended in their departments losing court cases.
Wenzhou, in Zhejiang Province, has vowed to address increasing complaints and lawsuits against the government caused by administrative malpractice.
The pledge began with warnings within the local Communist Party of China and "demerits" for the officials, including four bureau heads, on February 22, an act that held the officials accountable for their mistakes.
"We aim to break the deep-rooted belief that individual officials can go unpunished after messing up, while their departments pay the price in money and reputation," said local Party discipline inspector Xu Rongsheng.
In one circular, three officials were penalized after being defeated in a court case over illegal land use.
The three officials in charge of construction and land resources reportedly turned a blind eye to an unlicensed apartment construction project on a piece of arable land in Yaru Village.
The building blocked the light of neighbors, who in 2008 sued the city planning bureau.
The demerits followed the court ruling which found the officials had caused a "negative social impact" and incurred demolition costs for the government.
Though so far only adopted by Wenzhou, the policy has been praised for setting a precedent for other cities trying to restore public confidence.
That's the signal sent by an east China city which has meted out punishments to 12 officials after abuses of power ended in their departments losing court cases.
Wenzhou, in Zhejiang Province, has vowed to address increasing complaints and lawsuits against the government caused by administrative malpractice.
The pledge began with warnings within the local Communist Party of China and "demerits" for the officials, including four bureau heads, on February 22, an act that held the officials accountable for their mistakes.
"We aim to break the deep-rooted belief that individual officials can go unpunished after messing up, while their departments pay the price in money and reputation," said local Party discipline inspector Xu Rongsheng.
In one circular, three officials were penalized after being defeated in a court case over illegal land use.
The three officials in charge of construction and land resources reportedly turned a blind eye to an unlicensed apartment construction project on a piece of arable land in Yaru Village.
The building blocked the light of neighbors, who in 2008 sued the city planning bureau.
The demerits followed the court ruling which found the officials had caused a "negative social impact" and incurred demolition costs for the government.
Though so far only adopted by Wenzhou, the policy has been praised for setting a precedent for other cities trying to restore public confidence.
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