1st Ld-Writethru: Xinhua Insight: Discipline inspection rules published to improve self-supervision

The Communist Party of China (CPC) on Friday published pilot work rules for discipline inspection organs to strengthen self-supervision.

The rules, passed by a plenary session of the CPC Central Commission for Discipline Inspection (CCDI) that ran from Jan. 6 to 8, clarify procedures for the handling of cases, including the collection and verification of facts, case filing, case hearing, and how to dispose of money and goods involved in a case.

While delivering a report on the rules, Wang Qishan, head of the CCDI, told the plenary session that the pilot rules were formulated to ensure "the power of discipline inspection organs is [restrained by a] cage of regulations."

Inspecting and holding wrongdoers accountable -- the most important power discipline authorities hold -- is prone to abuse, Wang noted, adding that a number of inspectors have been found guilty of violating Party rules and state laws.

These violations have exposed loopholes in the management of discipline inspection organs, including a lack of regulations and weak implementation of the rules, Wang said.

In his report, Wang elaborated on misdoings of guilty officials in discipline inspection bodies, such as interacting with corrupted officials and businessmen, dealing with case clues without authorization, breaching confidentiality rules, as well as seeking profits for oneself or others by taking advantage of their posts.

To address these problems, the rules provide detailed instructions on the collection and handling of tip-offs, gathering of evidence, allowed time for investigations and case hearings, among others.

For example, the rules note, the investigation of a suspect usually should not last more than 90 days. Under special circumstances, it could be extended only once, for no longer than 90 days.

The rules ban verbal or physical assault of suspects, or corporal punishment during investigations, and require suspects be given food, rest and medical attention.

The stipulations in the rules are specific and highly operable, to prevent abuse of power and other irregularities, said Xie Chuntao, a professor with the CPC Central Committee Party School.

Investigations should be separate from case hearings, the rules read, banning investigators from participating in hearing cases.

The rules are designed to ensure all cases are heard based on facts, norms and fairness, said Gao Bo, a CCDI inspector.

To better manage disciplinary agencies, the rules stipulate that such agencies should report to both Party committees at the same level and the discipline inspection agencies at a level higher.

When it comes to supervision and discipline enforcement, the agency reports primarily to the higher-level disciplinary organ, the rules noted.

According to the rules, powers of daily supervision over discipline enforcement, investigation into disciplinary violations and case filing, case management, as well as case hearing, are exercised by different divisions of a discipline inspection agency.

"By defining the powers of different divisions, a mechanism of checks and balances will be formed, thus, preventing any single division from having too much power," said Wang Yukai, a professor with the Chinese Academy of Governance.

By establishing a system of self-supervision, the rules will improve the management and capacity of discipline inspection organs, said the country's top graft-buster in his report.

He added that making the rules public would be conducive to integrating supervision within the organs with intra-Party and social supervision.

While addressing the plenary session, Wang also stressed that a variety of measures should be used in investigation, and decisions should be made based on discipline work procedures in a strict manner.

He also noted that education and supervision for inspectors should be enhanced by setting up temporary Party organizations in inspection teams. Endi