Chongqing residents are still gasping at its sudden change of leadership - with the resume of new party boss Zhang Dejiang appearing on the front page of major newspapers in the southwestern municipality yesterday.
The Chongqing Daily, Chongqing Evening News, and Chongqing Economic Times all ran Vice-Premier Zhang's resume after he was brought in to replace the controversial Bo Xilai, and ran big headlines about the meeting on Thursday chaired by central organisation department chief Li Yuanchao at which the switch was announced.
Chongqing television broadcast a municipal government meeting yesterday chaired by mayor Huang Qifan, which tried to convey a message of business-as-usual by passing legislation plans on livelihood issues such as public housing and schools. Huang, a trusted ally of Bo, said at Thursday's meeting he would support Zhang's leadership, although observers are still keeping a close eye on his political fate.
Chongqing residents, however, expressed mixed feelings about the abrupt leadership change yesterday.
Huang Zheng said he admired Bo for his unreserved devotion to the improvement of ordinary people's livelihoods, ranging from public order and tree-planting to environmental protection and the building of infrastructure.
'I guess his downfall resulted from his siding with the wrong faction in political struggles,' he said.