The 19 new "first ladies" of recently installed Party chiefs and local mayors must have felt they were getting anything but VIP treatment when they were taken to a prison to see just how badly things can turn out.

 

The spouses of Party and government leaders in Liuyang City of central China's Hunan Province, were asked to meet with people who had learned first hand what it was like to be the wife of a convicted corrupt official.

 

A number of authorities are asking new leaders to visit prisons to meet with former government heavyweights who are serving time for corruption. The visits are seen as a preemptive deterrent that keeps newcomers to power focused on honesty and integrity.

 

It's thought the visit to Hunan's Women's Prison by the 19 wives was the first time spouses were exposed to the harsh consequences of greed and graft.

 

There's good reason for the stark reality check. According to estimates nearly 80 percent of officials charged with corruption had help from their spouses and children.

 

One of the hosts of the 19 wives was a prisoner who served as an example of a "bad spouse of a Party and government leader." She was convicted of taking bribes on her husband's behalf and landed both of them in jail. "She was so regretful that she burst into tears," said one of the wives.

 

Luo Jiaguang, deputy secretary of the municipal Party committee for discipline, organized the tour. "The 19 men now have more power than at any other time in their lives," Luo said. "Experience tells us that quite a number of them may come under investigation by our office. The tour for their spouses serves as a warning to the women to be 'virtuous helpers' and not bad instigators."

 

Many of the wives were not happy about having to visit the prison. Local news reports said many felt hurt. "I feel like I'm not trusted," one complained.

 

The tearful confession by the corrupt official's wife changed their mind. "The visit is in fact a show of concern and care for us," an unidentified wife of a township mayor said. "I've learned that wives have an important role in keeping their husbands out of corruption."

 

Not everyone agrees the wives' tour will have its desired effect. According to an online poll by the People's Daily Website, 43 percent of respondents rated the visit as "meaningless, just a show," 36 percent said it was well-intentioned but doubted it would be effective and 21 percent said it was a good idea and would be useful.

 

Wang Wei, a prosecutor from Jiangsu Province, wrote that he doubted the tour would be a "deterrent to curbing abuse of power, especially since anti-corruption controls are still flawed."

 

(Xinhua News Agency September 11, 2006)