Supervision by shining spotlight of public opinion on power-holders

SHANDONG AND HAINAN provinces have pledged to reinforce the public’s supervision over Party and State organs. Changjiang Daily commented on Tuesday:

At its 19th National Congress in October, the Communist Party of China vowed to strengthen inner-Party supervision and State organ supervision by encouraging supervision by the public.

The supervisory mechanisms are expected to function as a whole so as to form an all-weather anti-graft environment. Yet supervision by the public has proved to be the short board of the bucket in practice, which affects the whole supervisory system’s effect.

It is not because the people lack opinions when it comes to problems with how power is exercised, but rather that the power-holders turn a deaf ear to people’s complaints or stifle criticism through coercive measures.

That the two provinces have taken the initiative to face up to the issue should serve as a reminder to the authorities elsewhere that they should end the practice of presenting a false appearance of peace and prosperity as if the people are satisfied with their performances.

There is still a long way to go for the governments of various levels to address people’s concerns, particularly in housing, healthcare, elderly care and education. The public is quick and to the point when exposing faults in public policies. Heeding public opinion can prompt the authorities to correct their errors, and constantly improve their efficiency in satisfying people’s needs, not beautify their achievements.

The government information disclosure mechanism, which had not been implemented until several years ago, is putting power in the sunshine by subjecting power-holders to public scrutiny.

If the authorities wholeheartedly listen to the people’s voices, there can be positive and constructive interaction that would be beneficial to both.