The openness and transparency in the trial of disgraced Chinese Communist Party (CPC) leader Bo Xilai have come in for praise both at home and abroad, according to a commentary on Tuesday. The case also underscores the Party's resolve to push the rule of law in China, the Xinhua commentary piece said.
Bo, former member of the CPC Central Committee Political Bureau and former secretary of the CPC Chongqing Municipal Committee, stood trial on August 22-26 in east China's Shandong Province over charges of bribery, embezzlement and abuse of power.
Real-time microblogging of trial proceedings by the courtroom and fierce, orderly arguments between the defendant and prosecutors offered citizens a rare opportunity to tell right from wrong, according to the commentary piece.
Some people said they were shocked by some details of the trial.
According to the article, Bo's transparent trial showcases the CPC's persistent crackdown on corruption, as he was among one of the most senior officials to stand trial for graft in recent years. Others include former railway minister Liu Zhijun, who received a suspended death sentence for corruption in July, and Liu Tienan, former energy chief, who has been sacked and is under investigation.
Such cases involving senior officials once again highlighted the application of the rule of law for every organization and individual in the country, including CPC members, no matter how high their posts, the article said.
All citizens are equal before the law. No one is allowed to have the special right to overstep the Constitution and law. Any violation of the Constitution and laws should be investigated, the Xinhua commentary piece said.
The open trials of officials like Bo mark great progress in China's judicial system and serve as a serious warning that law-violators should not deceive themselves by supposing they can escape legal punishment through good luck, it stated.
For the public, it was also a vivid lesson for how the rule of law should be respected.
The authority and dignity of the legal system must be maintained and the rule of law should be given greater scope in the country's governance and social management to ensure people enjoy extensive rights and freedoms as prescribed by law, the article stated.
To follow the rule of law, senior officials should take the lead in enforcing and observing the law. Bo's trial is part of the country's unremitting efforts in this regard and will greatly boost the confidence of the public in the rule of law and clean governance, the commentary piece said.
Bo awaits a verdict that will stand the test of time. The CPC faces a test in the country's full implementation of the rule of law in governing the country, the article stated.
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