The Central Commission for Discipline Inspection (CCDI) of the Communist Party of China (CPC) has warned a senior official against lobbying to be reelected as a member of the Shaanxi provincial CPC standing committee.

The CCDI is the Party's anti-graft watchdog and the warning is part of Beijing's moves to strengthen supervision to ensure the nationwide provincial elections for the new term are open and fair.

The same words of caution were also issued by the Organization Department of the CPC Central Committee, which is responsible for appointing officials.

Shaanxi's deputy governor, Li Tangtang, 53, allegedly called or sent messages to eight people in the provincial government asking them to vote for him. The eight then persuaded 50-odd people to vote for Li in the coming election to the provincial CPC standing committee.

Li is the highest-ranking official to be warned for misconduct. A CCDI statement denounced Li as being a bad example and urged officials at all levels to learn a lesson from him and not think about following in his footsteps. 

The Organization Department circulated notices, detailing 121 cases of discipline violation during last month's elections. It denounced 192 people and revoked the illegal appointments of 613 others.

The CCDI and the Organization Department issued a statement last May saying they'd do everything possible to maintain a fair election environment. People found canvassing for votes or bribing people to gain support would be punished or sacked, it said.

Li was elected deputy governor of Shaanxi only last April. Previously he was the deputy mayor of Baoji, his hometown in the province, and was then moved to Xianyang before being promoted to his present post.

A professor of the Party School of the CPC Central Committee, Liu Chun, said Li was condemned in time to deter others from doing the same. "The condemnation has sent a clear signal that no disciplinary violation will be tolerated," said Liu.

Addressing CCDI's annual work meeting in December, President Hu Jintao said that being ethical was vital to check corruption.

"Moral decay always goes ahead of corruption," said Ye Duchu, a Party School professor.

(China Daily February 6, 2007)