Xi gets status similar to Mao

Beijing, October 27

A key meeting of the CPC has called on all its members to "closely unite around the CPC Central Committee with Comrade Xi Jinping as the core," state run Xinhua news agency reported.

63-year-old Xi also heads the party as general-secretary of the CPC, and the military besides the presidency.

The announcement was made at the end of the four-day closed-door plenary meeting of the party comprising over 370 senior officials of the party.

But contrary to the speculation that the party may dispense with the over three-decade rule stipulating collective leadership, the plenum stressed the importance of adherence to the collective leadership system of CPC.

"They discussed the matter at the sixth plenary session of the 18th CPC Central Committee, calling for a combination of collective leadership with individual responsibility," the report said. The collective leadership was introduced in 1981 to ensure that no individual dominated the party leadership.

Speculation was rife earlier that it may be amended. As an important part of the CPC's fundamental organisation principle of democratic centralism, the collective leadership system "must always be followed and should not be violated by any organisation or individual under any circumstance or for any reason," a communique said. Party committees at various levels must adhere to the system, it said.

The communique called on leading officials to enhance their understanding of the overall situation and relevant responsibilities, and to resolutely enforce decisions made by party organisations.

The plenum also approved two documents on the discipline of the party including the norms of political life within the party under the new situation and a regulation on intra-party supervision, Xinhua quoted a communique as saying.

The meeting said CPC would resolutely address election malpractice, putting an end to the buying and selling of official posts or vote rigging. — PTI