Confining the Exercise of Power Within an Institutional Cage

At the second plenary session of the 18th CPC Central Commission for Discipline Inspection in January 2013, Xi Jinping emphasized that constraints and supervision over power had to be strengthened and that power had to be confined within an institutional cage, so as to create punitive mechanisms which make people dare not be corrupt, which prevent them from being corrupt, and which eliminate their desire to be corrupt. Institutions are, by their nature, fundamental, all-encompassing, stabilizing and long-lasting.

To confine power within an institutional cage is to use institutions to control power. To do so, the cage must first be built. The crux is to control power. To form a tight-knit institutional cage, powers must be delineated and allocated according to the principle that decisions, execution and supervision should be mutually constraining and mutually coordinated, thereby creating a rigorous system of checks and supervision over the use of power.

The people must be given the power to scrutinize; efforts must be made to form a scientific and effective supervisory system which strengthens effective joint supervision. Power must be exercised transparently: we should promote the transparent and standardized exercise of power, improve the openness of the Party, administrative and judicial work and open work procedures in all areas. A list of powers should be drawn up, powers must match responsibilities, and we must demand that those in power be held responsible, and that those who fail in their duties be held accountable. We must oppose the idea and the phenomena of special privileges, never tolerate the use of power for personal gain, and never tolerate the existence of special privileges.

把權力關進制度的籠子

2013年1月，習近平在十八屆中央紀委二次全會上強調，加強對權力運行的制約和監督，把權力關進制度的籠子里，形成不敢腐的懲戒機制、不能腐的防范機制、不易腐的保障機制。制度問題更帶有根本性、全局性、穩定性、長期性。用制度管權，就是要把權力關進制度的籠子里。把權力關進制度的籠子里，首先要建好籠子。必須抓住治權這個關鍵，編密扎緊制度的籠子，按照決策、執行、監督既相互制約又相互協調的原則區分和配置權力，構建嚴密的權力運行制約和監督體系。必須讓人民監督權力，努力形成科學有效的監督體系，增強監督合力和實效；讓權力在陽光下運行，推進權力運行公開化、規范化，完善黨務公開、政務公開、司法公開和各領域辦事公開制度；建立權力清單、實行權責對應，堅持有權就有責，失職要問責；反對特權思想、特權現象，決不允許以權謀私，決不允許搞特權。