THE Chinese Communist Party has tried to salvage its legitimacy by saying a policy should be carried out only if it has the support of the people.
This remarkable effort to revive political reform, which is believed to bear patriarch Deng Xiaoping's imprimatur, was in a front-page commentary in the People's Daily yesterday.
While explaining the essence of Mr Deng's Selected Works, a new edition of which was issued last week, the commentator pointed out that the 90-year-old's reform effort consisted of heeding 'the interests and wishes of the broad masses'.
The party mouthpiece indicated that for Mr Deng 'the point of departure and ultimate consideration for formulating various goals and policies are whether the people support them; whether they agree with and are happy with them; and whether they have given them the nod'.
Political analysts in Beijing said this was the most radical statement of political reform issued by the party since the June 4, 1989, Tiananmen massacre.
They said the commentary had been approved by the ruling politburo and the household of Mr Deng.