Students ask Lanzhou mayor to reveal income
Two mainland university students have written to the authorities in Lanzhou, the capital of Gansu province, asking for details of the city mayor's income to be made public.
Lanzhou mayor Yuan Zhanting is being investigated for graft after photographs posted on the internet showed him wearing at least five luxury watches, that he could not have afforded on his official salary, at public events.
Zhong Guoqing, a postgraduate social work student at Guangzhou's Sun Yat-sen University, sent his requests by express delivery on Wednesday afternoon, asking for details of Yuan's income last year.
The Communist Party's anti-graft watchdog in Gansu said it was verifying details of the situation after photos and blogs about Yuan wearing luxury watches circulated on the internet, the provincial government mouthpiece reported on its website on Wednesday.
Zhong's requests were sent to four government bodies - the general office of the Gansu provincial government, the provincial finance department, Lanzhou's open government information office and the city's finance department.
He asked for details of Yuan's monthly salary, bonuses and subsidies last year to be made public.
Zhang Xiaohuan, a student at Sichuan University in Chengdu, also submitted requests for details of Yuan's income through the Gansu provincial government's information website and also by express delivery to the provincial open government information office and Lanzhou's finance department.
Zhong said he did not expect feedback because previous requests had failed, but he wanted to raise public awareness.
"It might be a good opportunity, as the new generation of the leadership is calling for more transparent government," he said. "It can be a good example in the future, even if I fail."
