Rising star tries to clarify concept of 'intraparty democracy'

One of the Communist Party's most prominent new-generation stars tried yesterday to decode the hot political jargon of 'intraparty democracy', giving a glimpse of what is on the agenda for the world's biggest political organisation in the foreseeable future.

In an article running to more than 7,000 characters, published in People's Daily, the party's chief mouthpiece, Li Yuanchao, sought to elaborate upon the opaque concept that President and party general secretary Hu Jintao promoted at the recent party congress.

The somewhat contradictory title of Mr Li's article - Expanding Democracy and Strengthening Unity Within the Party - probably says a thing or two about the nature of''intraparty democracy', a concept that featured prominently in Mr Hu's 21/2-hour work report to the congress, and one that has been on the lips of the ruling party's 74 million members ever since, analysts say.

'Essentially, what Mr Hu sets out to do is to legitimise and strengthen a Communist Party that is increasingly challenged by unavoidable problems resulting from the framework of one-party rule,' said Hu Xingdou, a Beijing-based political scientist.

As Mr Li, the new party personnel chief, suggested, it is looking for viable checks and balances to curb official corruption, which has led to widespread discontent and rising protests across the mainland and is starting to threaten social stability.

'The party leadership has realised that it has to increase party transparency and limits on the authority of individual cadres to regain public support,' Professor Hu said.