Mainland Rolls Out Tough New Laws To Battle Graft

The mainland has rolled out plan for a tough supervisory network wielding enormous power, to continue the Xi jinping administration's fight against corruption.

The new national supervisory commission is not a judicial or executive branch and it will be free from any interference. It will also be given the power to detain suspects up to 60 days and have the right not to inform the family if the suspect is "obstructive" to the trial.

The draft bill was introduced by vice chairman of the Standing Committee of the NPC, Li Jianguo, during the annual plenary session in Beijing. The bill, Li said, is expected to serve as a fundamental and guiding law against corruption and for state supervision, as well as enhancing the leadership of the Communist Party on anti-corruption drive.

According to the bill, new supervisory commissions will be established at the national, provincial, city and county levels. They will independently exercise supervisory power, and not be subject to interference from the government, social organisations and individuals.

The commissions are entrusted to oversee state officals, investigate corruption cases such as bribery, embezzlement and abuse of power, impose administrative penalty on corrupt officials, and hand over criminal cases to prosecutors.

Li said the commissions will be supervised by the party, the NPC, public opinion and commissions themselves. He said the existing supervisory institutions were clearly unable to meet the demands of the battle against corruption and the campaign to clean up the party.

Currently, the supervisory power was divided among the party, government agencies and public prosecutors. Li said they do not work in harmony. Under the reform, all of them will be put under one roof and will be led by an elected chief and senior officials.

The new commission will also introduce a new detention system which Li said will help settle a long-lingering legal problem. Suspects can be detained by up to 30 days, and an extension of another 30 days can be granted if necessary. Their families will be notified if the suspects are not deemed to be "obstructive". But the bill did not mention whether defendants can hire their own lawyer.

Li said the new detention system has displayed the country's resolve and confidence to realise a full law-based governance.