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Test for graft busters

(China Daily)
Updated: 2011-01-13 08:02

As the country's anti-graft campaign intensifies, it is only natural that we will uncover more corrupt elements.

The official statement is that those disciplined for corruption and serious violation of Communist Party and government disciplines constitute only a very small minority. Yet to the public, the reality is, the abuse of public powers remains rampant and prevalent in society.

The crusade against corruption has made conspicuous headway according to official statements. Yet that headway is less conspicuous to the public - corruption maintains a universal existence in their eyes, and they believe the high-pitched campaigns have seldom been as forceful as they should be.

The divergent accounts about the state of corruption by the authorities and the public are more than just differences of perception; they have far-reaching implications for the present and future fight against corruption.

The authorities' latest emphasis on the issue, including a government white paper and the plenary session of the Communist Party of China's discipline watchdog, is a necessary reply to the expectations, confusion and misgivings about their attitude and approach.

The session, in addition to the routine reassurance of a commitment to fighting power abuses, prioritized seven categories of violations for corruption busters in 2011. This is the usual way things are done here, but President Hu Jintao, on the other hand, placed considerable weight on issues of outstanding public dissatisfaction.

Targeting issues of broad public interest has multiple benefits. Progress in such aspects can easily translate into popular endorsement to contain the erosion of public confidence in the authorities' will to, and capability of, handling corruption.

Credibility of public offices has become an issue of concern lately, so we hope actions will be taken in a timely manner to strictly implement the rules and regulations.

Real progress in any of the highlighted areas will contribute positively to the authorities' image-repairing efforts. Yet we do not anticipate progress will be made evenly on all fronts. Such a scenario is simply unrealistic.

We would rather see some real progress in two aspects - transparency and ways for the average citizen to air their concerns.

We do have a new decree on government information disclosure. And there is a network of special offices to hear people's complaints. But it is important to ensure such fine devices work, or work the way they are supposed to.

The authorities face a sincerity test they cannot afford to fail.