Chinese officials must please the people

By Zheng Ying
Guest Commentary

Published: August 05, 2009

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Chengdu, China — The Politburo of the Chinese Communist Party in late June approved a change in the system by which the performance of government and party officials will be evaluated. Instead of focusing only on economic productivity, the system will also evaluate the officials according to public satisfaction with their work, Chinese media reported.

The existing evaluation system, which focuses on the gross regional domestic product of each administrative region, has long aroused debate and criticism among the Chinese people, media and academic professionals. Looking only at economic production without taking into consideration other factors, such as environmental protection, resource conservation and citizens’ contentment, has been called “unscientific.”

The focus on gross regional domestic product has become a false barometer that has affected the behavior of local officials, contributing to “vanity projects,” consuming huge amounts of energy and destroying the environment, while providing the media and ordinary people with countless funny and annoying topics to discuss. Furthermore, some incidents have directly influenced relations between the officials and the people, upsetting the harmony in local regions.

Due to the lack of an effective system of public participation in decision-making, the majority of the people have no opportunity to speak out on matters that affect their lives and their destiny. There is no system through which they can respond to officials who harm the people’s interests and embitter the citizens.

To a large degree, it is the higher authorities rather than the ordinary people – who are supposed to be the “owners” of the country – who have the final say concerning an official’s promotion or award. This is not reasonable. Under this system it is self-evident who the Chinese officials strive to please.

As a result, the people in general have felt apathetic and discouraged about public affairs, with no sense of accountability or honor as the “owners” of the country. In some places, because the people’s opinions were not conveyed or understood by local authorities, their complaints and appeals mounted, placing tremendous pressure on local governments. In some cases, an expected spark has caused a calamity.

Whenever “mass incidents” break out, such as those in Wengan and Shishou, there is always a failure of communication between the people and the local authorities. In the end this escalates into conflict. (Editor’s note: Two separate riots occurred in the towns of Wengan and Shishou following mysterious deaths that local people blamed on corrupt officials.)

Therefore, including citizens’ satisfaction as a factor in evaluating officials is a necessary step in the government’s pursuit of scientific policy-making and a harmonious society. Especially on matters related to the people’s livelihood, the citizens’ have the keenest sense. They know what brings them success or suffering more than the officials do.

There should also be more systematic channels for the people to speak out, so their ideas and opinions could be accepted by the leaders. Moreover, the people should be granted the power to remove officials who oppress them. This would force the officials to seriously consider the people’s welfare in making decisions and policies.

Adding the people’s satisfaction as a factor in evaluating officials of the government and of the Chinese Communist Party will naturally make them more accountable to the people.

Nevertheless, how this system will be implemented so that the real voices of the people are heard remains a concern. This will require careful consideration. Still, this direction is positive and the Chinese people are looking forward to seeing its outcome.

(Zheng Ying is a freelance critic on current affairs and a former journalist based in the city of Chengdu in Sichuan province of China. This article is edited and translated from the Chinese by UPI Asia.com; the Chinese original can be found at http://blog.sina.com.cn/s/blog_58daf6670100dy7e.html ©Copyright Zheng Ying.)