The Henan Provincial Commission for Discipline Inspection and Supervision published (April
13) an interesting article on "civil rights" and the transfer by "Party members and public
officials of some of their personal rights for the benefit of all Chinese people and the entire
Chinese nation". The article stressed the need for Party members to voluntarily transfer some
of their civil rights when they join a party organization or enter a public office, so as to perform
the obligations and duties of party members and public officials. It acknowledged that, "in
practice, there are still problems of unclear understanding and inaccurate grasp of the transfer
of civil rights by party members and public officials". Stating it is necessary to clear
misunderstandings, it said "There is a view that party members and public officials, as citizens
of the country, enjoy all legal rights on an equal basis with other citizens, and the transfer of
party rights lacks a legal basis and violates the spirit of the rule of law. This understanding is
one-sided and wrong". It asserted "There are no absolute rights in the world, and the
inviolability and restriction of legal rights go hand in hand." It said, "the transfer of rights of
party members should not be equal to everyone and that, according to the regulations, leading
cadres should report personal matters closely related to family affairs and family property, and
cadres at the township level and below are not within the scope of the regulations that must be
reported". It also distinguished between ordinary citizens who have the freedom to drive luxury
cars and wear famous watches, and party members some of whom "live extravagant lives, talk
about pomp and ostentation, and violate the principles of integrity and self-discipline and the
spirit of the eight central regulations on thrift and luxury, hardship and simplicity, and diligence
and thrift."
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