Zhang Huixin, vice secretary of the Central Commission for Discipline Inspection of the Communist Party of China, has called on relevant departments to improve and fine-tune their handling of petitions, and in particular to ensure that all petitions are responded to.

Zhang said this during a meeting for complaints and petitions work on March 24 in Beijing, according to a March 27 report in China's Discipline Inspection and Supervision News.

Zhang said that an efficient petition process is an indispensable and irreplaceable part of efforts to build a clean and honest administration. The petition process is a way for citizens to contribute to the anti-corruption campaign, and it is a valuable source of clues and information for disciplinary and supervisory organs investigating official corruption. Petitions also invariably contain opinions and suggestions, some of which can be taken into consideration by governments in their decision-making.

Zhang stressed that all complaints and petitions should be handled in a timely fashion. He added that the recording, investigation and timely responses to petitions would be supervised.

Zhang also warned that officials found to have violated petitioners' rights, for example because a delay in the handling of their petitions resulted in serious consequences, will be disciplined.

(China.org.cn by Wu Nanlan, April 2, 2006)