Beijing still not saying when party congress will be held
Refusal to say when gathering at which 10-yearly leadership change occurs will begin fuels speculation Bo Xilai scandal has affected decisions on new line-up
Beijing is staying tight-lipped about the dates for the Communist Party's most important congress in 10 years, at which a new generation of leaders will be appointed to guide the world's second-biggest economy.
The secrecy has intensified speculation that the once-in-a-decade leadership succession, slated for later this year, has been affected by the unresolved scandal involving Chongqing's disgraced former party secretary, Bo Xilai , which has triggered the nation's worst political crisis in two decades.
But party officials yesterday insisted that preparations for the 18th national congress were progressing smoothly, with 2,270 delegates having been selected in a more transparent and democratic way than before.
However, such claims were thrown into doubt when Wang Jingqing , the deputy head of the party's powerful Organisation Department, failed to address very basic - but crucial - questions about the party conclave that have grabbed global media attention.
Wang did not provide an update on when the congress would commence. He instead repeated a party statement last year that said it was planned for the second half of this year.
When asked to confirm a widely circulated rumour that the Politburo Standing Committee, the party's innermost circle of power, would shrink from the current nine seats to seven, Wang said he did not know.