As a major move in strengthening internal democracy and curbing corruption, the Communist Party of China (CPC) is going to introduce regulations on inner Party supervision within the year, an official with the CPC Central Commission for Discipline Inspection told <i>Xinhua</i Monday.

"The draft regulations have been issued to local authorities across the country for comments and suggestions," said Li Yongzhong, a researcher studying anti-corruption mechanism with the Commission's research office.

Viewed by analysts as a positive new move by the CPC to promote a system-based anti-corruption battle, the regulations are expected to take effect later this year after being approved by the CPC Central Committee, Li said.

Drafting such regulations, which were initiated in 1990, has long been a long-term task for the CPC's watchdog, and the regulations have been viewed as one of the major measures for the promotion and enhancement of inner Party democracy and supervision, he said.

In their last move toward installing a system-based anti-corruption mechanism, the Central Commission for Discipline Inspection and the Organization Department of the CPC Central Committee set up a joint office and built up five inspection teams last month in a bid to strengthen supervision over provincial Party and government leaders.

"The Party will go all out to establish a scientific and effective inspection system within several years to check the behaviors of local leaders," Wu Guanzheng, secretary of the CPC Central Commission for Discipline Inspection, said after he assumed office last year.

Early last month, in a high profile case, Cheng Weigao, former chairman of the Standing Committee of the Hebei Provincial People's Congress, was expelled from the Chinese Communist Party for violating party discipline and laws.

Statistics show that some 207,103 cases related to official bribery and malpractice, including 5,541 major cases, have been registered by procuratorates at different levels since 1998. And 12,830 middle and high-level cadres were prosecuted during the period.

(Xinhua News Agency September 2, 2003)