(Xinhua)
Updated: 2007-12-04 21:35

prefectural-level official has been stripped of his post for offering bribes in a leadership reshuffle in north China's Hebei province, a statement from the Chinese Communist Party's (CPC) Organization Department said on Tuesday.

The official, whose name the statement does not reveal, used various ways to win himself support during a leadership reshuffle, including making phone calls, visits, holding banquets and giving gifts, the statement said.

The official was dismissed from his post on November 30 by CPC committee in Hebei province for "violating the rules of leadership reshuffles" and is awaiting further punishment, it said.

The official's misconducts were brought to light by public reports submitted to the CPC Organization Department in mid-November, it added.

According to a report carried in Tuesday's Beijing News, the dismissed official was Li Junqu, the assistant to Hebei's governor.

A prefecture-level official is the equivalent of a city mayor, and the next level up is provincial or ministerial posts.

Further punishment for Li could include dismissal from the CPC or prosecution through the courts.

China will go through nationwide leadership elections and reshuffles of legislatures, governments and political advisory bodies at the provincial levels in the first half of next year.

And the work is already underway at city, county and township levels in some provinces, regions and municipalities.

The Organization Department issued a circular days ago, asking all local Party committees to crack down on corruption in the election of new local leaders and make sure that those elected are qualified.

The Department called for "creating a clean and upright environment for elections" by firmly preventing and severely punishing misconducts such as selling and buying government posts or offering bribes for higher positions.

The Organization Department asked local Party committees to make joint efforts with the CPC's discipline inspection committees to firmly curb illicit activities in the elections.

Those who are found to have acquired official posts through illegitimate means will be punished severely and prosecuted if they break the law, particularly in regard to corruption, the circular said.

And those who have already obtained higher official posts through bribery will be demoted.

The elections should ensure adherence to the Party's principle of electing only candidates with a firm political stance and great capabilities, the circular said.

The Organization Department has urged the public to call its "12380" hotline to report any malpractice and corrupt candidates during the local leadership reshuffle.

In a previous crackdown several officials received long prison sentences and were expelled from the Party. In July last year the CPC Central Commission of Discipline Inspection (CCDI) and the Organization Department jointly revealed that eight CPC officials had been punished, for buying or selling government jobs.

Cao Yongbao, former deputy secretary of Liangshan Prefectural Committee of the CPC in southwest China's Sichuan Province, was removed from his post, expelled from the Party and sentenced to 13 years in jail.

He had taken advantage of his posts to help other officials get promotions and job transfers from 1994 to 2004. He took bribes worth more than 1.5 million yuan. He was also unable to explain the source of other assets worth 1.074 million yuan and US$11,800.

Another offender was Zhang Gaiping, who received 1.069 million yuan in bribes to help 28 people get promotions or transfers between November 2000 to September 2005. Zhang was a former member of the Standing Committee of Shangluo city committee of the CPC in the province of Shaanxi and secretary of the Shangzhou district committee of the CPC.

Zhang was removed from her post and expelled from the Party. She was sentenced to 13 years in jail in Xi'an, Shaanxi Province.

Lu Chengli, former deputy head of the town of Tangzhui in Wuchuan city, in south China's Guangdong Province, was removed from his post and expelled from the Party. It was found that he had rigged his election to deputy town head by feting 12 delegates who nominated him and paying 55 delegates to the township people's congress 1,000 yuan each in return for their votes.

Five other officials - Wang Fuyuan, Tang Yajun, Peng Youming, Tang Shangcheng and Yu Ling - were also disciplined for trading Party posts, bribing delegates or arranging jobs for those they favored.