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(quán)力關(guān)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(diào)，加強對權(quán)力運行的制約和監(jiān)督，把權(quán)力關(guān)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(wěn)定性、長期性。用制度管權(quán)，就是要把權(quán)力關(guān)進制度的籠子里。把權(quán)力關(guān)進制度的籠子里，首先要建好籠子。必須抓住治權(quán)這個關(guān)鍵，編密扎緊制度的籠子，按照決策、執(zhí)行、監(jiān)督既相互制約又相互協(xié)調(diào)的原則區(qū)分和配置權(quán)力，構(gòu)建嚴密的權(quán)力運行制約和監(jiān)督體系。必須讓人民監(jiān)督權(quán)力，努力形成科學有效的監(jiān)督體系，增強監(jiān)督合力和實效；讓權(quán)力在陽光下運行，推進權(quán)力運行公開化、規(guī)范化，完善黨務(wù)公開、政務(wù)公開、司法公開和各領(lǐng)域辦事公開制度；建立權(quán)力清單、實行權(quán)責對應(yīng)，堅持有權(quán)就有責，失職要問責；反對特權(quán)思想、特權(quán)現(xiàn)象，決不允許以權(quán)謀私，決不允許搞特權(quán)。