In 2005, the national leadership expelled nearly 45,000 members for corruption-linked offences. Leadership reshuffles at all levels are anticipated in the next two years.
Beijing (AsiaNews/SCMP) The Chinese government has just wrapped up "a campaign of ideological education" attended by all members of the Chinese Communist Party and grassroots organizations. The campaign was launched 18 months ago to seek to stem public discontent about rampant corruption among party members. Ouyang Song, a deputy head of the Party central committee's organisation department, said this at a press conference in Beijing.
In 2005, the central leadership of the Chinese Communist Party was forced to expel 44,738 members occupying mid or high-ranking positions in a bid to repair its image, stained by corruption, and to maintain its legitimacy. Ouyang said: "These members were expelled for failing to carry out the duties of party members." Among them are some very high-ranking members who were punished for offences linked to corruption: chief among these is the former vice mayor of Beijing, Liu Zhihua. But Ouyang refused to comment about him.
In a speech last month marking the 85th anniversary of the party's founding, Chinese President Hu Jintao called for a "resolute fight against corruption". The deputy head of the department said efforts such as the ideological education campaign helped to preserve the "advanced nature" of Chinese Communists, and could help prepare the mindset of party members for leadership reshuffles at all levels of government in the next two years.
The party's anti-corruption drive is seen by many political analysts as an attempt to maintain its image with the general public, which in recent years has voiced increasing discontent about corruption in leadership positions.
Apart from members of the CCP, 3.5 million "grassroots" organisations took part in the campaign. Ouyang said "very soon" the party would introduce more democratic procedures in the local party nomination and election processes. He said it was "not true" that corruption was undermining public confidence in the government. "I believe the anti-corruption situation will improve and our party's morale will also improve," he said. "History will once again prove that the Chinese Communist Party is great, glorious, righteous."