2010-04-03 08:55

SHANGHAI - The promotion of a 27-year-old government official in Nanping of Fujian province has triggered a major controversy after netizens found out his mother is the Party secretary of the city.

The incident again highlighted the public's growing doubt about the fairness in the selection of government officials in the country.

Lei Lianming was promoted through a public selection to be deputy secretary of Fuzhou Committee of China Communist Youth League in October 2009, only one year after he graduated from Tsinghua University.

Lei used to be vice-president of the All-China Students Federation from July 2005 to September 2006 and an office manager of People's Insurance Company of China in Fujian after his graduation.

His promotion was questioned because the post requires at least four years' experience as deputy chief or one year as chief in a local government department.

In an article, which has drawn great public attention, famous blogger Zhang Hongfeng said that Lei is unqualified for the promotion and the only reason he got promoted is because of his mother, Lei Chunmei, who is the Party secretary of Nanping.

When asked on Thursday by the Beijing-based China Youth Daily if his mother is the Party secretary and if he is qualified for the post, Lei Lianming answered: "You should ask the department of organization."

Officials with the organization department of Fuzhou, which is responsible for government personnel management, said the public selection was fair and Lei Lianming's promotion has nothing to do with his mother being the Party secretary of Nanping.

"We asked non-Communist parties to supervise the whole procedure. Everyone we selected is qualified," an official surnamed Wang with the department was quoted as saying by the China Youth Daily on Friday. "There has been no complaint from the 500 candidates taking part in the selection."

"It's true that Lei is the son of the Party secretary, but it has nothing to do with his promotion," an official with the publicity department of Nanping told China Daily. "The online post and the media reports are a malicious attack on the reputation of our Party secretary."

China Daily