Official promises no greed, no lust

A work report made by a county magistrate in 2008 in which he vowed to have no greed for money and resist the temptations of lust, has caused a stir among netizens after it was published online on July 31, the Legal Daily reported on Monday.

Lei Gaofei, magistrate of Qidong county, Hunan province, made the work report in 2008 when he first took the job. The report was recently made public via the county government's website.

Lei said in his report that he would work hard as the county magistrate and made a pledge of "no greed, no lust."

Many members of the public have praised the magistrate's pledge, saying it demonstrates his commitment to the job and positive attitude. Others., however, commented the pledge should be standard for all officials and making such a vow should not be seen as exceptional.

Legal experts said that the pledge was questioned by some because there was often a gap between what officials said and did and officials need to make greater efforts to build credibility.