THE Communist Party of China (CPC) has closed the chapter on a turbulent political scandal that threatened to complicate its once-in-a-generation leadership transition by expelling the Politburo member Bo Xilai from the party. A meeting of the Politburo, on September 28, decided to hand over the once powerful Chongqing party secretary to judicial authorities.
The Politburo said it had accepted the findings of an internal investigation that Bo had seriously violated party discipline, not only in Chongqing but also during his stints earlier in Dalian and as Commerce Minister. He bore major responsibility for the death of British businessman and Bo family associate Neil Heywood, who was poisoned by Bos wife, Gu Kailai, the Politburo said. By taking a firm stand against Bo, the current leadership appears to be signalling to any of Bos remaining allies, among fellow princelingsor children of former leadersand on the Left, that the party had secured the support of former leaders thought to have backed Bos rise. Ignoring calls from officials with ties to Bos once influential father, Bo Yibo, for a lenient punishment, the party has also decided to pursue corruption charges against Bo.
Investigations found he took advantage of his office to seek profits for others and received huge bribes personally and through his family, said the Politburo statement, reported by Xinhua. The party has sought to portray the popular former Chongqing party secretary as a wayward official, claiming that he had or maintained improper sexual relationships with a number of women. Bo is expected to serve a lengthy jail term, perhaps even exceeding the 18-year sentence given to the last Politburo member expelled from the party, the former Shanghai party secretary Chen Liangyu.
The Politburo meeting also ended weeks of anticipation by announcing that the 18th CPC National Congress, which will formalise the leadership transition, would be convened on November 8 in Beijing. The announcements have helped end months of uncertainty surrounding the two biggest issues the CPC has been grappling with ahead of the transition: settling the fate of Bo and reaching a consensus between various interest groups in finalising the line-up of the fifth generation of leaders.
The current 17th Central Committee, a body of 370 top leaders led by outgoing General Secretary Hu Jintao, is expected to hold one last plenary meeting to agree on the composition of the 18th Central Committee, which will choose the next 25-member Politburo and Standing Committee, following the National Congress. Only two members of the current nine-member Politburo Standing Committee, Vice-President Xi Jinping and Vice-Premier Li Keqiang, will hold on to their positions on the partys top decision-making body following the transition.
Ananth KrishnanCOMMents
COMMents
SHARE