Cadres to be gauged by grasp of law

By Xie Chuanjiao (China Daily)
Updated: 2008-07-11 07:10

Potential government hires will be required to demonstrate a greater understanding of the legal system to improve administration by law, especially at the city and county levels, a senior official said Thursday.

"Government employees are expected to carry out statutory governmental functions, so they must be familiar with the relevant restrictions, regulations and procedures," Zhao Zhenhua, deputy director of the government legal institution research center under the State Council's Legislative Affairs Office, said in an online interview with www.gov.cn.

Being accountable for the examinations would also expand their legal awareness, he said.

Zhao pointed out the resolution has "especially enhanced the threshold for law enforcement staff".

Officials must also know comprehensive laws, including the Administrative Litigation Law, the Administrative Approval Law, the Administrative Punishment Law and the Administrative Reconsideration Law.

In addition, they must take exams in their particular fields. For example, taxation departments' employees must understand laws related to levies and payment responsibility.

In 2004, the State Council issued an implementation guideline and announced the goal of achieving a government ruled by law within a decade.

"However, the goal of administrating according to law in China will be a long-term and complicated one because of a variety of difficulties arising from the management mentality cultivated by decades of operating under a planned economy," Zhao said.

And problems are progressively magnified toward the base of the pyramid of power.

"Research has suggested the strength of administration according to law diminishes from the level of central government to provincial, municipal and county governments," Zhao said.

For example, some cadres have never really fused administration according to law with economic development and practical work.

"Some grassroots law enforcement staff are of low quality, and they are barbarous and violent in their work, sometimes creating difficulties for common people and disturbing the public," the official said.