CPC members required to waive some freedoms

China's top discipline watchdog reminded Communist Party of China (CPC) members Monday that membership requires voluntarily waiving part of their rights and freedom, a move analysts believe stresses that Party disciplines are stricter than laws. Party members are citizens who shoulder "special political missions" and are bound by strict rules, read an article published on the website of the CPC's Central Commission for Discipline Inspection (CCDI) on Monday. "Ordinary citizens are free to choose their religious belief, while Party members are required to be atheist," Zhang Yaocan, a professor on political science and law at Central China Normal University, told the Global Times. He added that laws do not regulate the lifestyle of ordinary citizens, while Party disciplines impose a higher moral standard on its members, such as the ban on adultery and extravagance. The article explained Party members, especially Party officials, should not only observe laws as much as ordinary citizens do, but also follow disciplines. This is not the first time that the CCDI announced such a requirement. "Senior Party officials need to waive more as they shoulder greater responsibilities," China's top disciplinary inspector Wang Qishan said in an article on People's Daily in November 2014. The difference is the result of the CPC's repeated emphasis that Party disciplines are stricter than the country's laws and regulations. The CCDI's article read that the country's governance starts with Party governance, which needs to be stricter to affirm the leading role and ruling position of the CPC. "Party disciplines are stricter than laws, instead of being equal to laws … The bottom line for ordinary citizens is laws and Party members is different," said the CCDI article. However, stricter requirements do not mean Party members are deprived of freedom, said experts. "For instance, although Party members are banned from making groundless comments on major national and Party policies, they are provided with sufficient channels within the Party to discuss the policies," Jiang Mingan, a law professor at Peking University, told the Global Times. The two sets of Party rules, one on clean governance and the other on sanctions on those who violate the Party code of conduct will be implemented starting next year, the Xinhua News Agency reported. The new rules on punishments have been dubbed by many to be the most comprehensive and strictest since the opening up and reform drive began.